Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has unveiled a 14-member Test squad for the forthcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, to take place from November 9 to 21 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. The announcement also included a 13-member squad for a three-day warm-up match at the Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board, Babar Azam will continue to lead the Test team, with key players such as Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, and wicketkeepers Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig retaining their spots. The squad also features left-arm spinner Ali Usman and batter Salman Ali Agha. New to the squad are batters Mohammad Taha, Sameer Minhas, and Mohammad Suleman, who have earned their first call-ups.

Mohammad Taha, a 26-year-old left-handed batter, has been noteworthy in the President's Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament, amassing 730 runs, including three centuries. Mohammad Suleman is also among the top performers, with 652 runs to his credit. Sameer Minhas has shown promise with 405 runs in his debut first-class season and has had a significant impact with the Pakistan U19 team.

The PCB Patron's squad for the warm-up match will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig and includes players such as Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, and Sameer Minhas. The pace lineup for the Patron's XI features Mohammad Salman, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan, and Ubaid Shah. Batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif is also part of the squad.

The series schedule is as follows: a three-day match from November 4 to 6 at the Islamabad Club, followed by the first Test from November 9 to 13 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the second Test from November 17 to 21 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.