After a poor performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, the Pakistan men’s cricket team will start the 2024–25 season with a two-match Test series at home against Bangladesh. The series opener is scheduled to start on Wednesday (August 21) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the National Stadium in Karachi will host the second and final red-ball match from August 30 onwards.
After suffering a 0-3 whitewash against Australia in the three-match Test series at the start of 2024, the Shan Masood-led side would like to come up with a big show in the home series and keep alive its chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
During the two-match series at home, star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will have a chance to create history and become the first bowler to take 100 wickets in the WTC for Pakistan. The left-arm pacer, who is set to lead Pakistan’s pace attack in the first Test, has 91 wickets to his name in 24 Tests played so far. He needs nine more wickets in the upcoming two matches to join the elite list.
A total of 11 players have picked up 100 or more wickets in the WTC so far. India has three representatives—R Ashwin (174), Jasprit Bumrah (110) and Ravindra Jadeja (102)—whereas four Australian players—Nathan Lyon (187), Pat Cummins (175), Mitchell Starc (147), and Josh Hazlewood (109)—have also dismissed more than 100 batters.
In the list of bowlers with the most wickets in the WTC for Pakistan, Shaheen is followed by Naseem Shah, who has 51 wickets to his name. Naseem, who suffered an injury during the Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan, last played a red-ball match against Sri Lanka in July 2023.
Most wickets in WTC for Pakistan
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – 91
- Naseem Shah – 51
- Yasir Shah – 41
- Noman Ali – 39
- Abrar Ahmed – 38
The upcoming two Tests will also give Pakistan captain Shan Masood and vice captain Saud Shakeel the opportunity to complete 1000 runs in the WTC. Shan, who was appointed as Pakistan’s Test captain last year after Babar Azam stepped down from his role, has 985 runs to his name in 18 matches, whereas Saud has amassed a total of 967 runs in 10 red-ball matches played so far. The left-handed batter was appointed as Pakistan’s new vice captain for the upcoming series in place of Shaheen.
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