The Pakistan Cricket Board appointed former captain Sarfaraz as the new head coach for the upcoming red-ball tour of Bangladesh. This major announcement was made on April 18, 2026, alongside the reveal of a 16-member squad for the two-match Test series.
PCB announced the Test squad for Bangladesh series on social media. Pakistan will travel to Bangladesh in early May to compete in matches that are part of the ICC World Test Championship. Consequently, the team features four new uncapped players as the selection committee looks to inject fresh talent into the Test lineup.
Sarfaraz Ahmed Takes Charge as Pakistan Head Coach
Sarfaraz Ahmed will lead the coaching staff during the Bangladesh tour. This role marks his first official coaching assignment with the senior national team. Previously, Sarfaraz enjoyed great success as a player and mentor. For instance, he captained Pakistan to victory in the 2006 ICC U19 World Cup and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
Recently, Sarfaraz served as a mentor and manager for the Pakistan U19 team. Under his guidance, the youth team won the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in December 2023. Furthermore, he worked with the Pakistan Shaheens during their series against the England Lions.
Former Pakistan national cricketer, Abid Ali shared a statement on his X account about Ahmed as new head coach of Pakistan’s Test team. He stated that a former captain with experience, but appointing a recently retired player with limited coaching background feels like a short-term experiment from PCB.
Who are the New Players in the Pakistan Test Squad?
While experienced players remain, the inclusion of four uncapped athletes in the 16-man squad is the biggest talking point. First, Abdullah Fazal is a left-handed opening batter who dominated the recent President’s Trophy. He scored 622 runs in seven matches, averaging 51.83. Additionally, he was the player of the final in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored a century and a half-century.
On the other hand, Azan Awais is another talented left-handed batter. Over the last two first-class seasons, scored a total of 2,673 runs with ten centuries across the Quaid-e-Azam and President’s Trophies. During the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy alone, he was the top scorer with 844 runs.
Third, Amad Butt joins the squad as a fast-bowling all-rounder. He has over ten years of experience in domestic cricket. Recently, he took 32 wickets in a single season, which was the most for his side.
Finally, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori is a wicketkeeper-batter who has already played white-ball cricket for Pakistan. He performed well in the President’s Trophy, scoring 531 runs with an average of 48.27.
Notable Returns and Changes in the Squad
Shan Masood leads Pakistan as the Test captain. The squad also sees the return of fast bowler Mohammad Abbas. Abbas was recalled after missing the recent home series against the West Indies and South Africa. His last Test match was in January 2025 during the tour of South Africa.
However, the team has made several changes by dropping five players from the previous squad. Specifically, Abdullah Shafique, Asif Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, and Rohail Nazir were not included this time. The selectors decided to retain established stars like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Pakistan currently sits in fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship standings. In contrast, Bangladesh is in eighth place. Therefore, this series is an important opportunity for Pakistan to climb higher in the rankings and secure more points in the championship cycle.
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