Fawad Alam Returns After 10 Years As Pakistan Announce Squad For SL Tests

Fawad has so far played three Tests for Pakistan in which he has scored 250 runs, including one century. He has also represented the Men in Green in 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is

Following his great form in the domestic circuit, batsman Fawad Alam has earned a Test call-up after 10 years, for the upcoming historic two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The 34-year-old last represented Pakistan in 2009 against New Zealand. Fawad recently hogged the limelight following his outings for Sindh in the ongoing first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He has scored four centuries so far in the tournament. Fawad has so far played three Tests for Pakistan in which he has scored 250 runs, including one century. He has also represented the Men in Green in 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is. On the other hand, left-arm pacer Usman Khan Shinwari has earned a maiden call-up while 16-year-old Naseem Shah has retained his spot for yet another rubber. The upcoming series against the islanders will mark the return of Test cricket on the Pakistani soil after 10 years. Sri Lanka were the last team to play Tests there, in 2009, when their tour was cut short by an attack on the team bus. Their return to play red-ball cricket in the country thus holds significance. Pakistan recently had a poor outing on their tour to Australia where they failed to register a single win in three T20Is and two Tests they played. The first match of the two-Test series will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from December 11 while the second Test will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from December 19. Squad: Azhar Ali (c), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah, Usman Khan Shinwari