LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test squad for the West Indies and England tours is expected to be announced next week after the selection committee completes a final assessment of the players’ fitness.
The selectors held final round discussions earlier this week but decided to delay the squad announcement after fitness concerns emerged involving several players.
As a result, additional cricketers have been invited to the ongoing red-ball training camp for further evaluation. These include Abdullah Shafiq, Kamran Ghulam, Hamza Nasser, Rohail Naseer and Arafat Minhas.
Mohammed Rizwan and Saud Shakeel continue their rehabilitation work, while players currently dealing with fitness issues in the Red-Ball camp will undergo assessments next week.
The Test squad will be announced only after the fitness assessments are completed and the red-ball camp is expected to conclude following the team announcement.
Adding more players will provide backup options for Rizwan and South.
Among the spinners, Ali Usman is also considered a strong contender for selection.
Meanwhile, if Abrar Ahmed is not included in the Test squad, he will honor his contract in The Hundred starting on July 21.
The team is expected to leave for the West Indies on July 13, where they will play a four-day practice match from July 18.
The series in Trinidad and Tobago will be held from July 25-29 and August 2-6 respectively.
Following the West Indies tour, Pakistan will focus on England in a three-match Test series.
The series will begin on August 19 at Headingley in Leeds, followed by the second Test at Lord’s on August 27. The third and final Test begins on September 9 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.