Pakistan Add Aamer Jamal and 3 Uncapped Players to Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series

The ICC reported the change on 7 November 2026, two days before the first Test starts in Rawalpindi on Monday 9 November. Three of the four new names have never played for Pakistan. Below is the full squad, who came in and who went out, and what each new player did to earn the call.

Four players are in and two are out of the Test squad

The Pakistan Test squad vs Sri Lanka grew from 14 to 16 players on 7 November. Aamer Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Muhammad Tayyab Arif came in. Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal were released from the squad named on 24 October.

The first squad was always a draft. When it was named, the PCB said two fast bowlers would join after the three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka. In the end three pace options and one batter joined. You can compare it with the original 14-player Test squad.

The full Pakistan Test squad now has 16 players

Babar Azam leads a 16-player squad. Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Abbas are the senior names. Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig are the two wicketkeepers. At least six players in the list are still waiting for a first Test cap.

Here is the squad as the ICC printed it, in its own order:

1. Babar Azam (captain)
2. Aamer Jamal
3. Ali Shabbir
4. Arafat Minhas
5. Azan Awais
6. Mohammad Abbas
7. Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper)
8. Mohammad Suleman
9. Mohammad Taha
10. Muhammad Tayyab Arif
11. Razaullah
12. Saad Baig (wicketkeeper)
13. Salman Ali Agha
14. Sameer Minhas
15. Saqib Khan
16. Saud Shakeel

The six uncapped players we can confirm are Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Muhammad Tayyab Arif, added now, and Mohammad Taha, Sameer Minhas and Mohammad Suleman, named in October. We counted that from the two ICC squad reports. Only 11 can play, so check the toss on Monday for who actually debuts.

Aamer Jamal returns after a strong domestic final

Aamer Jamal is the only one of the four with Pakistan experience. He has played nine Tests, three ODIs and six T20 internationals. He earned his return with 7 for 32 and a score of 55 in the President's Trophy Grade-I final.

That matters for balance. A seam bowler who can bat at number eight lets Pakistan pick an extra bowler without losing runs. In home Tests, where pitches often flatten out by day three, that extra option can decide how long a side can keep attacking.

Three uncapped players earned their place in the warm-up

Tayyab Arif, Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan all played for the Patron's XI in the three-day match against Sri Lanka at the Islamabad Club from 4 to 6 November. The ICC calls all three call-ups their first for Pakistan.

Saqib Khan's numbers stand out most. Forty-seven wickets in nine games is more than five a match. Ali Shabbir is the youngest in the squad at 19. Tayyab Arif's average of 66 is close to the 66.36 that won Mohammad Taha his place in October.

We could not read the warm-up scorecard itself. The PCB website refused our connection on 7 and 8 November, so we have not stated how each of the three did in that match.

What the change means for the Rawalpindi Test

The first Test runs from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second Test is in Lahore from 17 to 21 November. Both count for the ICC World Test Championship.

Releasing Ali Usman leaves fewer specialist spin options in the squad. Adding three seamers points to a pace-heavy plan in Rawalpindi. Our Rawalpindi Test record page has the ground's past results. That is our reading of the squad, not a PCB statement. The playing XI will only be clear at the toss.

The stakes are high. Pakistan sat ninth of nine in the WTC points table on 4.63 per cent before this series, after slow over-rate deductions. Two home wins would lift them, but not near the top two.

For the match itself, see where to watch the 1st Test and the Rawalpindi Test ticket prices.

Released players can go back to domestic cricket

Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal were in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy squads as reserves when the Test squad was first picked. Round 2 starts on 9 November, the same day as the Test.

We have not seen a PCB notice that says either will play Round 2. If they do, Ali Usman would turn out for Multan and Abdullah Fazal for Karachi Blues, based on the rosters the PCB issued on 2 November. Our Round 2 fixtures page lists the matches and venues.

Common questions

Who has been added to Pakistan's Test squad against Sri Lanka?

Aamer Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Muhammad Tayyab Arif, as the ICC reported on 7 November 2026.

Who was released from the Pakistan Test squad?

Left-arm spinner Ali Usman and batter Abdullah Fazal.

How many players are in Pakistan's Test squad now?

Sixteen, led by Babar Azam. Only 11 will play each Test.

Has Aamer Jamal played Test cricket before?

Yes. He has played nine Tests, three ODIs and six T20 internationals for Pakistan.

When does the first Test against Sri Lanka start?

On Monday 9 November 2026 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It runs until 13 November.

How old is Ali Shabbir?

He is 19, the ICC says, with 22 wickets from eight first-class matches.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the ICC report on Pakistan's updated Test squad on 8 November 2026. The original 14 names come from the PCB release of 24 October, recorded on our earlier squad page. The PCB website refused our connection on 7 and 8 November, so we could not read its own notice of the change or the warm-up scorecard.