Pakistan have included left-arm spinner Noman Ali in their squad for the first match of the ICC World Test Championship series against England starting early next month.

The 37-year-old Ali, who last played a Test in 2023, replaces injured fast bowler Khurram Shahzad. He has played 15 Test matches for Pakistan, taking 47 wickets at an average of 33.53.

In his last Test match for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Ali had taken a career-best haul of 7 for 70.

Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests, have been ignored for the first Test although they remain part of the plans for the future.

“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” head coach Jason Gillespie said.

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“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”

Aamer Jamal, who missed the Bangladesh Tests due to injury is deemed fit to play the first Test. Jamal was initially ruled out of the Test series against Bangladesh, but was named in the squad for the second Test although he wasn’t included in the final playing XI.

Pakistan are eighth in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings after their series loss to Bangladesh at home.

The Shan Masood-led side are under pressure heading into the first Test against England with their last win in a home Test dating back to February 2021. Pakistan haven’t won a home Test match in their last 10 attempts, which includes a 3-0 series loss to England in 2022.

Pakistan squad for 1st Test: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.