From the last Test squad, which played a two-match home series against New Zealand in December-January, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mahmood and Kamran Ghulam missed out.
“I am very excited to be returning to the Pakistan Test side after a year,” Afridi said. “I dearly missed Test cricket and it was tough for me to be away from this format.
“After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket. I want to thank my fans who have provided me support in tough times and I am ready for the challenges ahead.”
“The players who have missed out on the selection should not get bogged down as they firmly remain part of our plans. We have an exciting and challenging season ahead of us and they should make the most of the opportunities in domestic cricket and Shaheens’ tours to keep themselves ready.”
This series will be Pakistan’s first assignment in the new World Test Championship cycle, which runs from 2023 to 2025. The squad will assemble in Karachi on July 3 for a camp before departing for Sri Lanka on July 9. The itinerary of the tour has not been announced yet.
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-capt, wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hurraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood