Pakistan Adds Three Uncapped Players to Test Squad for Sri Lanka Home Series

Pakistan have included three uncapped players in their revised 16-member Test squad for the two-match home series against Sri Lanka. Batsman Muhammad Tayyab Arif, left-arm seamer Ali Shabbir, and fast bowler Saqib Khan have all received their first Test call-ups. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the updated squad on November 7, 2026, two days before the opening Test begins at Rawalpindi.

The revised selection expands the original 14-member group by four additions. Pace-bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal returns to the setup, while all-rounder Salman Ali Agha is back after being sent home midway through the England tour. Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman were released from the earlier squad to accommodate these changes. The two Tests form part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle, with the first match in Rawalpindi followed by the second in Lahore.

All three uncapped players had already appeared for the Patron’s XI against Sri Lanka in a three-day practice match at Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6, 2026, providing them exposure to the touring side before the series.

What domestic performances earned the three uncapped players their call-ups?

Muhammad Tayyab Arif, aged 19, delivered one of the standout batting performances of the domestic season in his debut campaign for Kingsmen Academy in the Departmental first-class tournament. He amassed 727 runs across seven matches at an average of 66.09, including three centuries. Those figures placed him among the most productive batters in the competition and caught the selectors’ attention ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

Ali Shabbir, also 19, made his case with the ball, claiming 22 wickets from eight first-class matches. He reinforced that form during the practice match against Sri Lanka, taking three wickets to underline his readiness for the step up. Saqib Khan was the most prolific wicket-taker of the trio in domestic cricket, finishing the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title-winning campaign for Karachi Blues with 47 wickets from nine matches at an average of 20.60, with a best return of 7/34.

Aamir Jamal, who has represented Pakistan in nine Tests, six T20Is, and three ODIs, last played a Test against West Indies in July 2026. He captained Lahore Whites in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold opening round, scoring 75 and 23 while also picking up three wickets. Jamal also recorded figures of 7/32 and scored 55 in the President’s Trophy Grade-I final, performances that kept him in the selectors’ thinking throughout the domestic calendar.

The 16-member squad is led by Babar Azam and contains a blend of experienced names and fresh faces. Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Abbas, Salman Ali Agha, and Aamir Jamal provide the senior core, while the three uncapped players add youth and domestic form to the group.

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