The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint Naveed Akram Cheema as team manager ahead of the two-Test series against Bangladesh, local media reported on Tuesday.
Cheema recently served as the team manager on Australia’s red-ball tour last year and New Zealand’s white-ball tour, where Pakistan suffered defeat.
After the series, when Mohsin Naqvi was elected as the Chairman of PCB, Cheema was replaced by Mansoor Rana as the team manager while former pacer Wahab Riaz was named senior team manager.
Pakistan suffered a group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup 2024 under the captaincy of Babar Azam as they lost to the United States and India in the group stage.
Following Pakistan’s exit from the World Cup, Riaz and Rana were removed from their respective positions and now the Mohsin Naqvi-led board has decided to bring Cheema back.
The PCB is expected to announce the team management for the Bangladesh series in the coming days.
The two-Test series is set to begin on August 21 in Rawalpindi. The Test matches will be played as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 as both teams are eager to perform and strengthen their position on the WTC points table.
Squads
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumar Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Series schedule
1st Test: August 21 - 25 @ Pindi Cricket Stadium
2nd Test: August 30 - 4 September @ National Bank Stadium
