Abar Ahmed aiming to establish himself as Pakistan's "main spinner"
Aug 15, 2024
Rawalpindi [Pakistan], August 15 : Abrar Ahmed is aiming to establish himself as Pakistan's main spinner ahead of their upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
Abrar has been struggling to find game time in Pakistan's colours. He was included in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad but didn't feature in a single game throughout their campaign.
He was named in Pakistan's Test squad for their upcoming home two Tests against Bangladesh. Abrar will return to the red-ball set-up for the first time since July 2023. He made his last appearance against Sri Lanka at Colombo.
Ahead of the series, which will kick off on August 21 in Rawalpindi, Abrar stated his intention of becoming Pakistan's main spinner. He also hinted that he has a couple of deliveries up his sleeve that could be on display in the upcoming games.
"I am trying to become the main spinner of the team. In terms of deliveries, I try to do something different, and it could reflect in the upcoming games," Abrar said in a press conference on Thursday.
Abrar has enjoyed a limited number of appearances for Pakistan. He would be keen on leaving an impression in the upcoming games to push his name into contention for next year's ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan.
When asked about his chances of playing in the coveted event, Abrar believes his inclusion in the squad will be the management's decision.
"It is upto team management whether I play in the Champions trophy or not. On my end, I have to work hard," Abrar added.
The second Test of the two-match series is set to be played from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that spectators will not be allowed during the second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh due to ongoing renovations at Karachi's National Stadium.
Pakistan squad of Test series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh squad for Test series: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudullah, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan. Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Khaled Ahmed.
