Ghulam to debut as Pakistan stack XI with spinners for second Test

Pakistan have ripped up their home template ahead of the second Test starting Tuesday, naming three specialist spinners in their starting XI alongside seam bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, legspinner Zahid Mahmood and offspinner Sajid Khan have all been called up in a radical shift away from the green-top seaming tracks Pakistan have recently said they aspire to produce at home.

Part of this has been borne of necessity, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have both been released from the squad for fitness or form reasons, and England's batters, at any rate, appeared supremely untroubled against Pakistan's pace battery for large parts.

However, with Pakistan going through a dearth of quality spin bowling of late combined with their frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed ending up in hospital during the first Test, the decision to double down on spin remains a remarkable turnaround. Just two months earlier in Rawalpindi, against Bangladesh, Pakistan had contentiously fielded an all-seam attack, pointing at least in part to sort of pitches they had asked for at home.

With Pakistan's first class-season yet to begin, none of the three incoming spinners has the sort of recent red-ball experience that would be useful with a challenge as formidable as this England side. Noman last played a first-class game in October 2023, while Mahmood and Sajid have not played one since January this year

Kamran Ghulam will make his debut to replace Babar Azam, who was released from the squad after an extended run of poor form. The batting line-up is otherwise unchanged, with Jamal at eight continuing to give them the security of batting depth Pakistan have desired. However, it also means he is the only seam bowler in the side, potentially placing a huge bowling responsibility on his shoulders should conditions appear partial to seam at any stages in this Test.

If captain Shan Masood (or Mohammad Rizwan) doesn't roll his arm over in Multan, it will be the first time that Pakistan will have only one pace-bowling option in a men's Test.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt there was a spirited debate among the selection committee members about the final composition of the squad, which had not been announced when assistant coach Azhar Mahmood came out for the pre-match press conference. He even acknowledged the reason for the delay in the squad announcement was discussion on the "11th" name in the squad; the selectors had considered fielding one more pace bowler. Ultimately, though confidence that the pitch would take excessive turn won out giving Pakistan's bowling attack a drastically different look to the one that started the season three Tests earlier.

Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (capt), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.