Saud Shakeel is all set to return to competitive cricket for the first time since May, while Shan Masood will certainly miss Pakistan’s only three-day fixture against Kent at The County Ground, Beckenham, from Thursday – the tourists’ sole warm-up ahead of the three-Test series against England, which begins at Headingley on 19 August.

Saud missed the two-Test series against the West Indies due to an undisclosed injury, and his availability for the England tour was also contingent upon his fitness. The PCB, nonetheless, rushed him out to Trinidad as a cover after Abdullah Fazal was ruled out injured. He was not required for the Port of Spain Test, as Awais Zafar made his Test debut instead, but has now been declared fit for the Kent match.

Shan Masood, who broke his finger while scoring a fighting century in the first Test and was replaced by Abdullah Shafique, will continue to sit out. He remains a doubtful starter for the Headingley Test.

The Kent match is critically important for Saud, not only to prove he has fully recovered from the injury, but also to get some much-needed match practice under his belt. The left-hander averages nearly 44 from 23 Tests, but has endured a string of low scores since making 84 against the West Indies in the first innings of the first Test in Multan in January 2025. Across his last 11 Test innings, Saud has managed just 191 runs, with a single half-century – 66, against South Africa in Rawalpindi – to show for it.

Also looking to make the most of the fixture will be Salman Ali Agha and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.

Salman averages 37.40 from 27 Tests, but managed only 20, 0 and 0 in his three innings in the Caribbean. Despite that lean run, he remains one of Pakistan’s most prolific scorers over the past two years, having aggregated 854 runs in 13 Tests – with one century and six half-centuries – stretching back to the 2024 home series against Bangladesh and this year’s away tour there.

Rizwan carries a career average of just under 40 from 45 Tests, but scored only 12, 11 and 18 in the West Indies. He had opened the Bangladesh tour in May in better touch, scoring 59, and then 94 in the second innings of the second Test – both, unfortunately, in losing causes. His third and most recent Test century also came against Bangladesh, in the first Test in Rawalpindi, in August 2024.

Also hoping to spend valuable time in the middle will be opener Imam-ul-Haq, whose third and most recent Test century came against England in the third Test in Rawalpindi in 2024. Since then, he has managed seven half-centuries, including 63 in Tarouba, followed by scores of 3, 14 and 9.

Bowling remains the least of Pakistan’s concerns by comparison. Fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali both carry plenty of experience of English conditions and were among the standout performers in the Caribbean, alongside Sajid Khan and Ali Usman. Mohammad Ali, having played in both Tests against the West Indies, is expected to be rested for the Kent fixture as part of a managed workload ahead of the England series.

Pakistan are yet to officially name their squad for the Kent fixture. Based on fitness updates and recent form, however, the likely XI is expected to be:

Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Sajid Khan, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.