ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan in the first Test match being played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium today, Wednesday, after hours of delay caused by a wet outfield following early morning rain.
Having released their only spinner, Abrar Ahmed, Pakistan will enter the Test with an all-pace attack, a ploy they last used five years ago against Sri Lanka at the same venue.
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood will lead the team for the first time at home, with this being coach Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as the red-ball head coach. The second Test against Bangladesh will start on Aug. 30, also at the Rawalpindi Stadium.
“Bangladesh have won the toss and are fielding first,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday.
Pakistan are currently ranked sixth in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. They have played two away series in the championship, winning 2-0 against Sri Lanka and losing 3-0 to Australia.
Bangladesh, who rank eighth, will be hoping to overturn their no-win record against Pakistan, having lost 12 of the last 13 Tests, with just one draw.
“The series against Bangladesh is very important for us as we prepare for a busy season ahead, and we are determined to perform well,” Shan said ahead of the first Test.
Ground staff use a roller on the field as rain delays the start of the first cricket test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi on August 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PCB)
“It is an honor and a privilege to lead the side at home. With captaincy comes great responsibility, and I will do my best to take this team forward.”
Bangladesh captain Najmal Hossain Shanto said he was grateful to the PCB for arranging practice sessions for his side in Lahore.
“We had a couple of sessions there and I am hopeful the players will do well in the series,” he said. “We know that Pakistan has great potential. The series is part of the ICC Championship and we know every game is very important.”
Bangladesh team preparations were severely hampered by political turmoil at home. The unrest that led to the overthrow of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina kept the team’s foreign coaches indoors, strictly following adviseries from their embassies, while mass protests stopped the team from assembling for practice sessions.
Pakistan are also scheduled to play nine Test matches this season with seven of these to be played at home, including two against Bangladesh, three against England in October and two against West Indies in January next year, according to the PCB.
The two away Test matches against South Africa will be played in December and January.
Pakistan test cricket team’s skipper Shan Masood, right, and his Bangladesh’s counterpart Najmul Hossain Shanto pose with test series trophy at a hilltop city view point Daman-e-Koh, in Islamabad on August 19, 2024. (AP)
Teams:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed.
