On Wednesday, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first in the opening Test Match against Pakistan, taking place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The start of the match was delayed for several hours due to a wet outfield from overnight rain. Only 48 overs are scheduled for today, with play resuming after the tea break at 4:40 p.m. and continuing until 6 p.m., potentially extending by 30 minutes if necessary to complete the overs.
Read more: Pak vs Ban Test Series Trophy Revealed in Islamabad
Shan Masood’s team has chosen an all-pace attack for this Test, featuring Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, and Mohammad Ali.
This match is the first of two in the World Test Championship (WTC) third cycle (2023-2025), involving nine teams. Pakistan, currently ranked sixth, and Bangladesh, ranked eighth, are both keen to improve their standings on the WTC points table.
Historically, the two teams have faced each other 13 times in six Test series, with Pakistan winning 12 of those encounters and one ending in a draw.
The second Test, originally scheduled for Karachi, will also be held in Rawalpindi starting August 30 due to ongoing construction work at the Karachi stadium.
Squads:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed (not in first Test), Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam (not in first Test), Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudullah, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan. Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Khaled Ahmed.
