'One of my favorite players is Litton, top quality player'

Two days before the match, Pakistan has announced their playing XI. With Abrar Ahmed being left out, the team will not have a specialist spinner, making it clear that Pakistan will take the field with a full pace attack against Bangladesh. Pakistan's captain, Shan Masood, explained why there is no specialist spinner in the XI against Bangladesh.

In response to media questions at a press conference before the match on Tuesday, Shan Masood said:

“Whenever we have played domestic cricket, the conditions in Rawalpindi have supported the pacers and the batsmen. Spin bowling is not a significant threat in that sense. We have chosen to proceed based on how it has been in domestic cricket. We don’t want to try something new; generally, Rawalpindi does not provide those kinds of advantages.”

For the first Test being held in Rawalpindi, the playing XI includes four pace bowlers, six batsmen, and one batting all-rounder. Pakistan’s selection reflects the fact that pacers and batsmen typically gain extra benefits at Rawalpindi.

When asked why Mohammad Ali was included in the XI instead of Mir Hamza, Masood explained, “We considered who could provide more support to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, and we hope Mohammad Ali will also bowl with the new ball tomorrow. We believe Mohammad Ali will be good for this role. He bowls aggressively, can swing the ball both ways in the air with seam movement, and has extra pace. It’s not necessarily about one being better than the other; rather, it’s about who is more suited to the conditions here.”

Praising Liton Das as a 'top-quality player' and recognizing the entire Bangladeshi batting unit, Masood said, “Liton Das is one of my favorite players. He is a top-quality player. Not just Liton, but also Shakib, Mushfiqur, and Mominul are players I respect. Shakib, Mushfiqur, and Mominul are very experienced and have played many matches. This experience in Test cricket will help them. Although the bowling attack is young, there are talented players here. Taskin is not playing in this match, but he is also a quality bowler. The rest are quality bowlers as well. The team is moving in the right direction.”