Overview
- The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed Sunday that 23‑year‑old opener Abdullah Fazal suffered an acute lower‑back injury in a training session at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and will begin a period of rehabilitation.
- The PCB named right‑hander Abdullah Shafique as Fazal's replacement and added middle‑order batter Saud Shakeel to strengthen the squad for the remaining West Indies Test and the three‑Test England tour.
- Shafique's recall follows strong recent red‑ball form in domestic cricket where he scored 911 runs at an average of 82.82 with three centuries, and he has 24 prior Test appearances for Pakistan.
- On the field the first Test at Tarouba moved on Sunday from a rain‑affected opening to Pakistan bowling West Indies out for 311, with Mohammad Ali taking four wickets and Mohammad Abbas supporting the attack.
- The changes come with Babar Azam reinstated as Test captain and all five Tests on these tours carrying World Test Championship points, increasing selection pressure for Pakistan's batting unit.