PAK announces cricket team for SL tour

Islamabad, June 18 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday unveiled the national team set to visit Sri Lanka for a Test series next month.
The PCB has summoned fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi back to the squad for their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka following his recovery from injury.
“After missing our entire home season due to the injury, I’m eager to make an impactful comeback and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket,” Afridi was quoted as saying in the statement.
Recently, he also informed his social media followers that he would soon be seen playing Test matches. Afridi, Pakistan’s leading left-arm pacer, is just one wicket away from reaching his 100-wicket milestone in Test cricket.
The PCB also added uncapped all-rounder Aamir Jamal and batsman Mohammad Huraira to the side set to face Sri Lanka, marking Pakistan’s first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.
Huraira, with 24 first-class matches under his belt, earned his selection after an impressive performance in the domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament. He was the top run-scorer over the last two seasons, the statement revealed.
According to official records, Jamal was picked based on his performance as a fast bowler in the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he claimed 31 wickets at an average of 29.71.
PCB Men’s Chief Selector Haroon Rashid extended his congratulations to the new players, stating, “We have crafted this squad bearing in mind the conditions and challenges our players will face in Sri Lanka.”
The PCB has also appointed South African Morne Morkel as the national side’s bowling coach on a six-month contract. Prior to his coaching career, Morkel was one of South Africa’s most successful bowlers, seizing 309 wickets in 86 Test matches before retiring in 2018.