Pakistan field in first Bangladesh Test as Babar Azam ruled out

DHAKA (AFP: Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and chose to field in the opening match of the two-Test series against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday.

The visitors were without batsman Babar Azam, ruled out with a left knee injury, and handed Test debuts to top-order batsmen Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais.

Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas returned to the XI alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali, with Noman Ali the sole specialist spinner.

For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed returned to Test cricket for the first time since December 2024 after being sidelined because of injury.

Nahid Rana and Ebadot Hossain complete the pace attack, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam will handle the spin duties.

Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana.

Pakistan: Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Noman Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.‑AFP