Pakistan opts for all-out pace attack in 1st test against Bangladesh after releasing spinner Abrar

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan will go with an all-out pace attack in the first test against Bangladesh after releasing the only specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, from its squad on Saturday.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is expected to lead the attack with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shehzad and Mir Hamza the other fast bowling options for the test opener in Rawalpindi, starting Wednesday.

Leg-spinner Abrar and uncapped batter Kamran Ghulam, who was also named in the 17-member test squad, will play for Pakistan Shaheens in a four-day game against Bangladesh “A” which starts in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said the selectors wanted the spinner to gain some match practice ahead of the second test, which starts in Karachi on Aug. 30. Both Abrar and Ghulam will rejoin Pakistan’s test squad ahead of the second test match.

Pakistan last played a test match with an all-pace attack during the home series against Sri Lanka in 2019.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is the only spin option now available to Pakistan for the first test. The off-spinner has bowled consistently in test matches since 2023 and picked up some crucial wickets for Pakistan.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket