KENT: The Pakistan Shaheens squad kicked off their preparations for the England tour on Saturday with an intensive training session at Tonbridge School Ground, ahead of a packed schedule of limited-overs and red-ball matches beginning July 22.
The Shaheens, under the captaincy of left-handed batter Saud Shakeel, will open their tour with a 50-over clash against the First-Class Counties Select XI at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham.
Following that, the team will play two more One-Day games — first against the Professional County Club Select XI on July 25 at Kent, and again on July 27 at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove.
The focus will then shift to red-ball cricket. The Shaheens are set to play their first three-day match against the PCC Select XI in Hove, starting July 29. They will round off the tour with another three-day fixture against a combined South Asian Cricket Academy and MCC Young Cricketers side, starting August 3 in Canterbury.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier unveiled an 18-player squad for this multi-format tour, with a blend of Test experience and youthful promise. Alongside skipper Saud Shakeel, Test regulars Mir Hamza, Musa Khan, and Sajid Khan bolster the lineup. The rest of the squad includes 14 rising stars, 11 of whom are under the age of 25.
Pakistan Shaheens Squad:
Saud Shakeel (c), Ali Zaryab, Azan Awais, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Suleman, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Shahid Aziz, Shamyl Hussain, Ubaid Shah.
Support Staff:
Imran Farhat (Head Coach), Rehan Riaz (Bowling Coach), Mohtashim Rasheed (Fielding Coach), Usman Hashmi (Analyst), Ali Sufyan (Physio).
