WI vs PAK: Pakistan name Abdullah Fazal's replacement as Shakeel, Shafique added to Test squad

Saud Shakeel and Abdullah Shafique have been added to the Pakistan squad for the ongoing Test series against West Indies as well as the upcoming series against England. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has added Shafique as a replacement for Abdullah Fazal, who has been ruled out of both tours after suffering a back injury during training on the eve of the ongoing first Test in Trinidad.

On the other hand, Saud Shakeel wasn’t selected for either series due to fitness concerns. However, Pakistan’s director of cricket, Aqib Javed, had said that he was likely to join the squad in England. He’s now been added to the team prematurely, with Pakistan desperate to fight their middle-order woes after Abdullah Fazal’s injury.

Pakistan have fielded six specialist batters instead of their usual seven in the ongoing first Test against West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad. Fast-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal has been slotted in at No. 7, leaving them with a slightly longer tail. However, Saud Shakeel's inclusion will provide them with additional batting depth if Pakistan choose to strengthen their batting for the second Test or the subsequent tour of England.

Can Shafique revive his Test career?

Meanwhile, Shafique has a great chance to revive a Test career that has lost momentum after a promising start. After accumulating 856 runs at an average of over 65 in his first eight Tests, his form has dipped sharply. He has managed just 136 runs across his last nine innings, while his previous 31 innings have yielded 754 runs at an average of 25.13.