Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Colin Ackermann, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Logan van Beek, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Usama Mir, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

Reports also suggest that discord brewed within the team after their dismal Asia Cup campaign. According to a report from Pakistan’s Bol News, tensions escalated between Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, and the emerging leader, Shaheen Afridi, in the aftermath of their loss to Sri Lanka. The report details that Babar, disheartened by the defeat, questioned the role of senior players in the Asia Cup 2023 journey.

Nonetheless, Shaheen Afridi intervened, urging Babar not to generalize and refrain from criticizing those who had performed admirably. In response, Babar asserted that he was well aware of who had excelled and who had not.

The report further disclosed that, following the loss, Babar chose not to engage with anyone during his journey to the hotel after the press conference.

At the rain interruption, India had reached 147 for 2 in 24.1 overs. The remaining match is now set to be played on the reserve day, scheduled for Monday.

As the tournament unfolds, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are set to cross swords in Pallekele on Thursday, promising further excitement and intense competition on the Asia Cup stage.

Recently, New Zealand paceman Tim Southee, speaking at the Ceat Cricket Rating Award event, acknowledged the prowess of both Shaheen Afridi and Trent Boult. Southee commended their consistent ability to trouble batsmen, noting that Afridi and Boult have posed significant challenges for opponents throughout their careers.

The selection has been made with consideration for the conditions expected in Sri Lanka. The squad comprises four spinners, four fast bowlers, six specialist batters, and two wicket-keeper batters.

Shaheen Afridi, just one wicket away from reaching a century of Test wickets, has been a standout performer for Pakistan since his debut in December 2018. With an average of 24.86 and an economy rate of 3.04, the 23-year-old left-armer has made significant contributions to the team.

Expressing his excitement about returning to Test cricket, Shaheen Afridi said, “I am thrilled to be back in the Pakistan Test side after a year. I missed Test cricket dearly, and it was challenging for me to be away from this format. After missing the entire home season due to an injury suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make a strong comeback in the same country and achieve a century of Test wickets. I want to express my gratitude to the fans who supported me during tough times, and I am ready for the challenges that lie ahead.”

Mohammad Huraira, with impressive performances in domestic cricket, has earned his spot in the squad. The 21-year-old batter from Sialkot was the leading run-scorer in the last two editions of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In the 2022-23 season, he amassed 1,024 runs at an average of 73.14, including four centuries and two half-centuries. His recent tour of Zimbabwe also saw him scoring significant knocks of 178 and 64.

Joining him is his teammate from Northern and Shaheens, Aamir Jamal. The 27-year-old fast bowler from Mianwali topped the wicket-takers chart for fast bowlers in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23, with 31 wickets at an average of 29.71. Aamir also displayed his prowess in the recent One-Day series between Zimbabwe Select and Pakistan Shaheens, where he took 16 wickets at an average of 21.

Notably, Aamir’s remarkable performance on his Pakistan debut included defending 15 runs in the last over against England’s Moeen Ali, leading Pakistan to a thrilling six-run victory in the fifth T20 International. Aamir has experience in two T20Is, 23 first-class matches, 23 List A matches, and 20 T20 matches.

Haroon Rashid, the national men’s chief selector, congratulated the selected players, particularly Mohammad Huraira and Aamir Jamal, for their consistent performances. Rashid emphasized that the squad has been chosen with the conditions and challenges in Sri Lanka in mind, focusing on the need for both spinners and fast bowlers. He expressed confidence in the strong batting line-up and encouraged the players who missed out on selection to continue performing well in domestic cricket and Shaheens’ tours.

The Pakistan team will gather in Karachi on July 3 for a training camp before departing for Sri Lanka on July 9. The tour itinerary will be announced by Sri Lanka Cricket soon. The previous Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka took place in July 2022 and ended in a 1-1 draw

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will soon announce the official schedule for the Test series, which holds significance as part of the ICC World Test Championship.

Shaheen Afridi is currently engaged in the Nottinghamshire team for England’s T20 Blast, where he has been in exceptional form, claiming an impressive tally of 13 wickets from nine matches.

Recently, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq took to Twitter to address concerns regarding Afridi’s workload. He suggested that Afridi needed to increase his workload to prepare adequately for Test cricket, assuring that the team management is closely monitoring his progress.

“He has bowled 28 overs in 10 days!! If anything, he needs to get his loads up to play Test cricket. It is being monitored all the time,” Misbah commented on Twitter.

Representing Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Afridi has played seven matches in just ten days, amassing impressive statistics of 10 wickets from 27 overs, with an average of 24.5 and an economy rate of 9.1.

Arthur took to Twitter to address the concern and offer an explanation for Afridi’s workload. He highlighted that Afridi had only bowled 28 overs in ten days, which he considered to be a manageable workload.

In fact, Arthur suggested that Afridi needed to increase his workload in preparation for Test cricket, indicating that the team management was actively monitoring his progress.

“He has bowled 28 overs in 10 days!! If anything, he needs to increase his workload to play Test cricket. It is being monitored all the time,” Arthur commented on Twitter.

Pakistan is scheduled to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in July of this year.

In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Umar Gul discussed the possible factors contributing to this struggle and mentioned that Shaheen is actively working on improving this aspect of his game.

“There are two reasons behind this. Firstly, he has been consistently playing T20Is for a long time now. Secondly, in the limited four overs, there are fewer opportunities for the ball to reverse swing in the death overs. Shaheen’s ability to handle the new ball and take wickets early on strengthens the team’s prospects. He lays the foundation that supports other bowlers as well. However, he needs to put in extra effort in the death overs and focus more in that area. There is always room for improvement, so he should strive to deliver equally impressive spells with the old ball as he does with the new ball,” Gul stated.

Gul, 40 years old, also highlighted that Shaheen’s recent injury might have played a role, but he is committed to performing well both at the beginning and in the death overs.

“Shaheen made a comeback after his injury and played in the series against New Zealand, so that could be a contributing factor. I hope he remains fit for the Asia Cup because he is our main bowler. I had a discussion with him about this concern, and he realizes the importance of focusing on both the new and old ball. The concern is valid, and he must work on his capacity in the death overs,” Gul further added.

Gul recently served as Pakistan’s interim bowling coach for the series against Afghanistan and New Zealand, stepping in for Morne Morkel, who was engaged in IPL commitments.

There are speculations that Gul will be replaced in the near future by a former South African cricketer in the revised coaching setup under Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur.