Pakistan have named uncapped 20-year-old batter Sameer Minhas in their initial 14-member Test squad for the upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, marking his maiden call-up to the national Test side.
The squad, led by Babar Azam, includes a mix of experienced players and emerging talent as Pakistan prepare for the home series scheduled from November 9 to 21. Minhas has impressed in domestic cricket, scoring 405 runs in seven matches during his maiden first-class season. He also represented Pakistan at the Under-19 level, earning recognition for his promising performances.
The first Test will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13, while the second Test is scheduled at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17 to 21.
The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship, with Pakistan aiming to make an impact on home soil against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s rising batting talent Sameer Minhas rose to prominence with a match-winning 172 off 113 balls against India in the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai last year. He finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 471 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 117.45. He also emerged as Pakistan’s highest run-scorer at the recent Under-19 World Cup, scoring 197 runs in five matches.
Between the two tournaments, Minhas further showcased his batting prowess by smashing a century off just 42 balls against Zimbabwe, setting a record for the fastest hundred in youth one-day internationals (ODIs).
His performances attracted considerable interest at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) player auction, where Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators competed to secure his services. Islamabad United eventually signed him for Rs19 million, making him the most expensive uncapped Under-23 player at the auction.
The amount was more than three times his base price of Rs6 million. Minhas justified the franchise’s investment by setting a record for the most runs scored by a teenager in a single PSL season.
Before Islamabad United’s Eliminator 2 fixture against Hyderabad Kingsmen, he had accumulated 343 runs in 10 innings at an average of 42.87 and a strike rate of 155.90, including three half-centuries. He was also Islamabad United’s leading run-scorer and ranked seventh among the tournament’s top run-getters. Following his impressive performances in youth cricket and the PSL, Minhas is now set to turn his attention to first-class cricket, with his emerging talent drawing attention ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming Test assignments.
