Pakistan open a new chapter in Test cricket today. A young side led by Babar Azam takes on Sri Lanka in the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, starting a two-match home series.
Babar spoke to reporters on Sunday, a day before the match. He made one thing clear: picking the team is not his job. Selectors and the coach pick the side. His job is to get the best out of the players he has.
“The other things are not in my hands. Selection is their job,” Babar said. “Wherever my input is required I give it, and we sit together with the selectors and coach to decide what is best possible.”
Babar was asked about players left out even though they had not played recent matches. He said the squad came after talks between selectors and team management. He added that not everything about where his job begins and ends needs to be explained in public.
Why Pakistan picked young side
This series is a fresh start after a bad run. Pakistan lost 3-0 in England, and seven players were sent home after the second Test of that tour. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were sacked in a September overhaul, and white-ball coach Mike Hesson was brought into the Test set-up.
Only Salman Ali Agha and Aamir Jamal came back from the seven sent home. Five of the 11 players who played the final Test at Edgbaston were dropped.
The new squad leans on youth. Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Suleman, Azan Awais and Arafat Minhas earned their places through domestic cricket. Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Mohammad Tayyab Arif add more fresh faces. Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Abbas bring experience to guide them.
Babar said the team has moved on from England and is looking at the next World Test Championship cycle instead. “We are almost out of this year’s Test Championship, so we are looking forward to the next one and preparing for it,” he said. “We have taken a different step and injected different players. We are trying to apply a combination of seniors and juniors so that we get a good mix and give the youngsters the opportunity to express themselves and perform well.”
So what does this series mean? In simple words: Pakistan cannot reach the WTC final even with a 2-0 win. The real prize is finding a team for the future. A good show at home would give young players belief and give selectors a settled core to build on.
Pakistan also carry good feeling from white-ball cricket. They beat Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series towards the end of October. Babar said that win lifted the mood. “Any series or match you win gives you confidence, and we have brought that vibe into the Test matches,” he said. “When young blood comes into a team it gives a different energy, and I think that is present in this side.”
Series schedule and WTC picture
Pakistan sit ninth and last in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings. They have won two and lost seven of nine matches, with a points percentage of 4.63. Slow over-rates cost them 19 more points. Sri Lanka are seventh, with one win, two defeats and three draws from six Tests and a points percentage of 33.33.
The WTC is Test cricket’s league table. Teams earn points from each series, and the top two reach the final. Pakistan are too far back to catch up this time, so this series is about the next cycle.
| Key figure | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 9-13, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium |
| 2nd Test | November 17-21, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| Pakistan WTC rank | 9th (last), 4.63%, 2 wins, 7 losses in 9 Tests |
| Sri Lanka WTC rank | 7th, 33.33%, 1 win, 2 losses, 3 draws in 6 Tests |
| Head-to-head Tests | Pakistan lead 23-17 in 59 Tests, 19 draws |
| Last series between sides | Pakistan won 2-0 in Sri Lanka, 2023 |
| Babar last Test hundred | December 2022, vs New Zealand in Karachi |
Babar will also want runs of his own. His last Test century came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022, and the long wait has drawn plenty of attention. He has done well against Sri Lanka before, with two hundreds in the 2019 home series and another in Galle in 2022.
“My thinking is always positive. As a player and senior player you try to give your best in every match,” Babar said. “You learn from mistakes; no one is perfect. I figure out where I am going wrong and work on it with the coaches.”
He also praised the young players around him. “All the youngsters have a spark and confidence. We seniors try to guide them and share our experience, especially in pressure situations,” he said.
Squads for Rawalpindi Test
| Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Babar Azam (captain) | Kusal Mendis (captain, wicket-keeper) |
| Aamir Jamal | Anjala Bandara |
| Ali Shabbir | Dinesh Chandimal |
| Arafat Minhas | Pasindu Sooriyabandara |
| Azan Awais | Lahiru Udara |
| Mohammad Abbas | Dhananjaya de Silva |
| Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper) | Sonal Dinusha |
| Mohammad Suleman | Kamindu Mendis |
| Mohammad Taha | Keshara Nuwantha |
| Mohammad Tayyab Arif | Asitha Fernando |
| Razaullah | Prabath Jayasuriya |
| Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) | Lahiru Kumara |
| Salman Ali Agha | Dilshan Madushanka |
| Sameer Minhas | Eshan Malinga |
| Saqib Khan | Milan Rathnayake |
| Saud Shakeel | — |
Pakistan Sri Lanka Test FAQs
When does the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka first Test start?
The first Test starts on Monday, November 9, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and runs until November 13.
Where is the second Test played?
The second Test is at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, from November 17 to 21.
Why is Pakistan fielding such a young side?
After a 3-0 defeat in England and last place in the WTC standings, selectors picked new players from domestic cricket to build a team for the next WTC cycle.
