Saud Shakeel will head up an 18-man Pakistan Shaheens squad on a three-week trip to England, where the side will play two three-day fixtures and three 50-over matches between 17 July and 6 August.
The left-hander, now 29 and already the owner of 1658 Test runs at an average a touch above 50, is the most experienced name on the list. Three other capped players – seamer Mir Hamza, quick Muhammad Musa and off-spinner Sajid Khan – provide senior support.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and keen to pass on whatever I’ve learned from the Test side,” Shakeel said in a PCB release. “English conditions test every skill you have.”
Top-order batters Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat, first and second on the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy run charts, have been rewarded with call-ups, while 23-year-old all-rounder Mubasir Khan returns after a solitary T20I appearance at the 2023 Asian Games.
There is room, too, for a pair of intriguing young bowlers. Left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram, familiar to Pakistan Super League viewers with Multan Sultans, joins off-spinner Mehran Mumtaz in what looks a well-balanced slow-bowling group. Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem and fresh from a lively domestic season, strengthens the pace stocks alongside Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Aziz.
Bowling coach Rehan Riaz likes the blend. “Hamza gives us experience with the new ball, Musa provides pace, and youngsters such as Ubaid keep everyone honest,” he said. Head coach Imran Farhat echoed that theme, adding, “We want these lads to feel the different rhythms of county grounds – green tops one week, flat decks the next.”
The players assemble on 12 July for a short camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi and fly out the following day. Fixtures and venues are expected to be confirmed by the ECB in the next few days.
Beyond the headline names, the tour is a chance for fringe cricketers to press Test and ODI claims. Pakistan’s senior calendar is cramped over the next 12 months – World Test Championship matches, Champions Trophy preparations and, of course, the ever-present PSL – so selectors are eager to widen the pool. A solid fortnight in Leicester or Derby, say, can nudge a player up the queue.
The Shaheens project, now five years old, has already pushed Abdullah Shafique, Sarfaraz Ahmed (second wind) and Aamer Jamal towards full honours. Whether this group finds similar traction will depend on how quickly they read English pitches and, just as importantly, how calmly they adapt when the Dukes ball swings late in a grey afternoon.
Pakistan Shaheens squad
Saud Shakeel (capt), Ali Zaryab, Azan Awais, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Suleman, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Shahid Aziz, Shamyl Hussain, Ubaid Shah
Support staff
Imran Farhat (head coach), Rehan Riaz (bowling), Mohtashim Rasheed (fielding)
Fixtures: two three-day matches, three 50-over games, 17 July-6 August; detailed schedule TBC.
