Pakistan Cricket Board release schedule & squad for Sri Lanka tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the schedule as well as the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. The Babar Azam-led squad are scheduled to begin their tour with a three-day warm-up contest followed by the Test matches, which will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC).

This marks the side's first tour of the island nation in seven years. The 18-member squad and support staff are slated to arrive on July 6. Sri Lanka are currently competing in an all-format series against Australia, which will culminate on July 3.

The Galle International Stadium and the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will play host to the Tests. The first Test is scheduled to begin on July 16 while the subsequent contest is scheduled for July 24.

Initially, a three-match ODI series was also set to be part of the tour. However, with the matches not being a part of the ODI Super League, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board requested their counterparts for it to be scrapped. The board intends to stage the Lanka Premier League (LPL) one week before its scheduled start for financial reasons.

Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka full schedule

July 11-13 - Three-Day Warm-up game at Colts, Colombo

July 16-20 - First Test at GICS, Galle

July 24-28 - Second Test at RPICS, Colombo

Yasir Shah and uncapped Salman Ali receive call-ups to the Pakistan Test squad for Sri Lanka Tests

Following their 1-0 defeat to Australia at home, the Men In Green have slid to fifth spot in the World Test Championship standings. Babar Azam will lead a 18-man squad which includes Yasir Shah, who makes a return to the national fold after almost a year. The 36-year-old was last seen on Pakistan's tour of the West Indies in August 2021.

The leg-spinner had a prolific series the last time the team toured Sri Lanka. He claimed 24 wickets in the three-match Test series and was named Man of the Series for his exploits.

Also making his presence is 28-year-old Salman Ali Agha, who toured Sri Lanka previously as part of the Pakistan A squad. The all-rounder has received numerous call-ups in the past as part of the national squad for their tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, but is yet to make his debut.

Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Test Series

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah