Pakistan have named three uncapped players in their revised 16-member Test squad for the two-match home series against Sri Lanka, with batter Muhammad Tayyab Arif, left-arm pacer Ali Shabbir and fast bowler Saqib Khan all receiving maiden Test call-ups. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the updated squad on November 7, 2026, two days before the first Test gets underway at Rawalpindi.
The revised group expands the original 14-member selection by four additions. Pace-bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal also returns to the fold, while all-rounder Salman Ali Agha is back after being sent home midway through the England tour. Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman were released from the earlier squad to accommodate the changes. The two Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle, with the first match in Rawalpindi followed by the second in Lahore.
All three debutants had already featured in the Patron’s XI that faced Sri Lanka in a three-day practice match at Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6, 2026, giving them exposure to the touring side ahead of the series.
What domestic performances earned the three uncapped players their call-ups?
Muhammad Tayyab Arif, 19, produced one of the standout batting performances of the domestic season in his maiden campaign for Kingsmen Academy in the Departmental first-class tournament. He scored 727 runs across seven matches at an average of 66.09, including three centuries. Those figures placed him among the most productive batters in that competition and drew the selectors’ attention ahead of the Sri Lanka series.
Ali Shabbir, also 19, made his case with the ball, claiming 22 wickets from eight first-class matches. He reinforced that form during the practice match against Sri Lanka, where he took three wickets to underline his readiness for the step up. Saqib Khan was the most prolific wicket-taker of the trio in domestic cricket, finishing the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title-winning campaign for Karachi Blues with 47 wickets from nine matches at an average of 20.60, with a best return of 7/34.
Aamir Jamal, who has represented Pakistan in nine Tests, six T20Is and three ODIs, last made a Test appearance against West Indies in July 2026. He captained Lahore Whites in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold opening round, scoring 75 and 23 while also picking up three wickets. Jamal also turned in figures of 7/32 and scored 55 in the President’s Trophy Grade-I final, performances that kept him in the selectors’ thinking throughout the domestic calendar.
The 16-member squad is led by Babar Azam and contains a blend of experienced names and fresh faces. Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Abbas, Salman Ali Agha and Aamir Jamal provide the senior core, while the three uncapped players add youth and domestic form to the group.
