Pakistan eye WTC push as Shaheen brushes aside 2024 defeat to Bangladesh

Pakistan will begin their away Test series against Bangladesh hoping to improve their position in the current ICC World Test Championship standings.

Ahead of the two-match series, starting in Mirpur from Friday, much of the attention has been on Bangladesh’s memorable 2-0 win over Pakistan in 2024, when they completed a historic clean sweep away from home.

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However, Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridisaid the team is not interested in dwelling on the past.

“The past is the past. Personally, I do not want to dwell on it. Our goal is to focus on the present and the future. We are preparing to win the (World Test) Championship, not just a single series. As a team, we have big goals and we are ready,” said Shaheen.

Pakistan have spent the last few weeks preparing for the switch back to red-ball cricket, with players managing their workloads during the Pakistan Super League.

“Our last series against South Africa in Pakistan was a long time ago. As a team, we are ready. We had preparation time in Pakistan and now here for the last two to three days. We are looking forward to the challenge,” Afridi added.

“This period is very important for us as a Test team. We are playing a long season of Test cricket. We are focusing on how to prepare for the first Test. We hope the conditions suit us so we can play our best cricket here.

“We were already preparing during the PSL. After matches, we bowled extra overs on the side wickets. We worked on our bowling workloads to switch quickly to Tests. In the four or five days here, we tried to bowl around 25 overs to get used to the format.”

Afridi also spoke about Pakistan’s larger target in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. Pakistan have played two Tests so far in the current cycle, winning one and losing one against South Africa.

“Playing against any team in their home conditions is always tough. We are not just looking at one series; we are focusing on the World Test Championship,” he said.

“Our goal is to qualify for the final and win it. We will give our best to achieve that. The whole team understands that we need to play our best in the Test format.”

Bangladesh, meanwhile, are also looking ahead rather than focusing too much on their success from 2024. Head coach Phil Simmons said his side sees the upcoming series as a fresh challenge despite the confidence gained from that historic win.

“We want to make new history. It doesn’t matter what happened then. Yes, you keep it in your mind because it gives you a boost, but this is a new game and a new place,” Simmons said.

“We are in Bangladesh now, not Pakistan. We have to put those things behind us and focus on Friday,” he added.
Bangladesh last played Test cricket against Ireland in November 2025, winning both matches in the series. Simmons believes the team will adjust smoothly back into the longer format after recent white-ball assignments.

“It is more of a mental shift. At the same time, quite a few players here have not played white-ball cricket recently. They have been working with the red ball for the last couple of months, so I think it will be an easier shift than you think,” Simmons said.

The opening Test of the series will begin in Mirpur on Friday, followed by the second match from May 16 in Sylhet.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan and Amite Hasan.