Consistency and continuity were once again missing as Pakistan cricket selectors announced a 14-player squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The selectors also named a Patron’s XI side for the three-day match against Sri Lanka, after which two fast bowlers will be added to the two-Test squad.

The three-day match will be played from Nov. 4-6 at the Islamabad Club, before the first Test begins at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Nov. 9. Gaddafi Stadium will stage the second Test from Nov. 17.

Shan Masood, who scored five and 95 in the last Test against England at Edgbaston, was one of the five players who featured for Pakistan in Birmingham but failed to retain their places. The PCB offered no explanation for Shan’s omission, though the left-handed batter missed the last couple of President’s Trophy matches because of a hamstring injury.

Others left out of the Edgbaston lineup were Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Mohammad Ali.

Saim had been flown in from the West Indies and earned a pair, while Imran took two wickets and scored five and four as England won the match by eight wickets to wrap up the series 3-0.

Abdullah Shafique, who joined the side in the West Indies as a replacement batter and scored a match-winning 160 not out at Port of Spain, was omitted after scores of 61, 15, 5, 0, 3 and 0 on the England tour, which was a nightmare for all Pakistan batters.

Similarly, fast bowler Mohammad Ali was dropped despite finishing as Pakistan’s second most successful bowler in England, behind Mohammad Abbas (13), with eight wickets.

Of the seven players released from the Pakistan side after the Lord’s Test, left-arm spinner Ali Usman and Salman Ali Agha were recalled, but there were no places for Aamir Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan and Awais Zafar.

Also omitted was off-spinner Sajid Khan, who has taken 77 wickets in 16 Tests, including eight in Port of Spain, his last appearance. Sajid was part of the squad for the Birmingham Test but did not play in any of the three Tests in England. He is not in the Patron’s XI either.

Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig and Razaullah, who joined the Pakistan side after the Lord’s Test along with Saim and Imran Randhawa, were retained in the side, which will be captained by Babar Azam.

Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saud Shakeel, who also played at Edgbaston, were retained as well. Mohammad Imran Jr., another replacement who joined after Lord’s, was left out.

There was some positive news when the selectors named three domestic performers.

Left-hander Mohammad Taha, who scored 730 runs in the President’s Trophy, Mohammad Suleman, who scored 652, and Sameer Minhas, who scored 405 in his maiden first-class season, were included in the side.

As for the two pacers who will join the Pakistan side after the three-day match, the competition is between Mohammad Salman, Shoaib Akhtar Jr., Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Ubaid Shah.

Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig will captain the PCB Patron’s side, which also includes Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tayyab Arif and Sameer Minhas.

Pakistan Test squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel

Patron’s XI:

Saad Baig (captain, wk), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Shabbir, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Saqib Khan, Sameer Minhas, Shoaib Akhtar Jr. and Ubaid Shah.