Pakistan recalls opening batter Imam for two test matches against West Indies

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan has recalled opening batter Imam-ul-Haq for the two-test series against the West Indies starting in Multan at next week.

Imam played his last test match against Australia in December 2023 before he was not only overlooked for home test series against Bangladesh and England but also missed out on selection for the two test matches in South Africa.

Both Pakistan and West Indies are at the bottom of the World Test Championship points table. Pakistan will be aiming to finish a below-par WTC cycle on a high after losing eight of its last 10 test matches since Shan Masood was elevated as captain of red-ball cricket.

West Indies is yet to win a test series in this WTC cycle, losing to India, South Africa and England while drawing 1-1 against Australia and Bangladesh.

Pakistan started the WTC cycle with a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in 2023 before Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy in all formats. Under Masood, Pakistan was swept by Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa 3-0, 2-0 and 2-0 respectively.

In between those losses, Pakistan beat England 2-1 at home on engineered wickets in Multan and Rawalpindi to suit its spinners. Stars of the win, off-spinner Sajid Khan and Noman Ali are likely to combine again against West Indies after they picked up 39 wickets against England. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed was also named in the squad.

Pakistan has mostly retained its batting combination that competed against South Africa with Masood, Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan and spin all-rounder Salman Ali Agha all being named in the 15-member squad.

However, Pakistan has made wholesale changes in its bowling department and rested the pace quartet of Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza and Naseem Shah. Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad was retained in the squad while Mohammad Ali, who last played against Bangladesh, and uncapped Kashif Ali were included.

In the absence of injured opening batter Saim Ayub, the selectors named Mohammad Huraira, who is likely to open with Imam. Ayub fractured his right ankle during the opening day of the second test against South Africa at Cape Town earlier this month.

Former Pakistan under-19 captain Rohail Nazir will be the backup wicketkeeper.

Multan will host both the test matches with the first test starting from Jan. 17 followed by the second test from Jan. 25.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has to organize both the test matches in Multan because of ongoing upgrades at the stadiums in Karachi and Lahore for next month's Champions Trophy.

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Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir, Sajid Khan and Salman Ali Agha.