Setback for Pakistan as injury rules out all-rounder Aamir Jamal from Bangladesh series

ISLAMABAD: Key all-rounder Aamir Jamal has been released from the Test squad against the Bangladesh series due to injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday, dealing a blow to the hosts ahead of the two-match series scheduled to commence later this week.
Jamal has been recovering from a back injury that he sustained while playing county cricket this year. The right-arm pacer was earlier included in Pakistan’s squad subject to fitness clearance. The PCB said Jamal has been advised to improve his fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“Right-arm fast bowler Aamir Jamal has been released from the Test squad ahead of the series against Bangladesh,” the PCB said. 
The first Test match between Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan will commence from August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium while the second match of the series will also be played in Rawalpindi from August 26. 
Rawalpindi will host both matches in the series after the PCB moved the second Test from Karachi due to the ongoing renovation work at the National Bank Stadium for next year’s Champions Trophy.
On Sunday, Pakistani all-rounder Salman Ali Agha said he was excited at the prospect of being the country’s only off-spin option against Bangladesh. Pakistan’s only specialist leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was left out from the squad as the hosts aim to prepare a green-top wicket to help their fast bowlers in the first match. 
“When I go out to bat, I only think that I am a batsman,” Agha told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “Similarly, when I go out to bowl, I always think about bowling.”
The monsoon rains in Pakistan are expected to disrupt the first test in Rawalpindi, but Salman said the home team is not concerned about the overcast conditions and is focused on beating Bangladesh.
“Rain is not in our control, we don’t think much about it,” he said. “What we know is that the conditions are not new to us, and we know it will help our fast bowlers.”
Pakistan squad
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi