Opener Abdullah Fazal and left-arm spinner Ali Usman were released barely 48 hours before the first Test against Sri Lanka as Pakistan’s selectors recalled Aamir Jamal and named uncapped batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif and fast bowlers Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan for the match starting in Rawalpindi on Nov. 9.

Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan were preferred over Ubaid Shah, who played the Port of Spain Test, Mohammad Salman and Shoaib Akhtar Jr. The five fast bowlers featured in the three-day match against Sri Lanka and, as per the selectors’ plan, two were to be added to the Test squad at the end of the fixture.

Ali Shabbir and Saqib took three and four wickets, respectively, in the match, which Sri Lanka won by 142 runs. Ali Shabbir was ranked 43rd in the President’s Trophy after taking six wickets in three matches, while Saqib was ranked 27th with 10 wickets in three matches.

The most surprising decision, however, was the release of Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman and the recall of all-rounder Aamir Jamal. The decision reflected confusion and a lack of strategy and planning ahead of the Rawalpindi Test.

The squad, now packed with fast bowlers, albeit inexperienced ones, also suggests that a pitch suited to fast bowlers will be prepared. This would be another shift for the team management, which prepared rank turners for the last three home series, against England, West Indies and South Africa.

Fazal was sent back from the West Indies with an unspecified injury but was among the replacements for the Edgbaston Test, which he watched from the bench. Ali Usman and Aamir were two of the seven players released after the Lord’s Test.

Aamir has been named after taking seven for 32 and scoring 55 in the President’s Trophy final for MIT Solutions against State Bank of Pakistan, while Fazal was released after scoring 12 and 25 in the same match, followed by two and 21 against Sri Lanka. Aamir also showed form in the opening round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, taking three wickets and scoring 74 and 23 for Lahore Whites.

Tayyab Arif was the only batter to reach 30 in both innings of the three-day match, scoring 30 and 32.

The release of Fazal and Ali Usman means Sameer Minhas will open the innings with Azan Awais, and Pakistan will go into the Test without a specialist opener, with Arafat Minhas expected to play as a spinning all-rounder.

Aamir’s inclusion also reinforces head coach Mike Hesson’s white-ball philosophy of packing the side with all-rounders, while Tayyab Arif becomes the third uncapped middle-order batter in the 16-player squad after Mohammad Suleman and Mohammad Taha.

Apart from the three middle-order batters, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Sameer Minhas and Saqib Khan have yet to play a Test. Aamir has played nine Tests, Azan Awais seven, Babar Azam 66, Mohammad Abbas 33, Salman Ali Agha 28, Saud Shakeel 26, and Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Razaullah one each.

Pakistan Test squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel