Pakistan Reject Joins English Cricket Team

Pakistan reject joins English team [Source: AFP]

Led by Shan Masood, Pakistan had a forgettable outing in the first Test against Bangladesh, as the hosts crushed them by 104 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. 

Despite a valiant five-wicket haul from Mohammad Abbas and scintillating knocks from Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal, the visitors were comprehensively outclassed by a spirited Bangladesh team, spearheaded by Najmul Hossain Shanto. 

The PCB selection committee made some bold changes in the Pakistan squad vs Bangladesh, ignoring several senior players, including Faheem Ashraf. 

Notably, Faheem last played a Test against Australia in 2023 and has been out of Pakistan's red-ball setup since then. 

The seam-bowling allrounder has been signed by renowned English cricket club Yorkshire for the upcoming County Championship matches as he seeks redemption in red-ball cricket. 

Faheem Ashraf bags County Championship deal with Yorkshire after Test snub

With the PCB repeatedly ignoring him in Test cricket, Faheem Ashraf has joined Yorkshire in pursuit of a comeback to the purest format. 

As confirmed by the iconic English Cricket Club, Faheem will be available for selection for their seventh and eighth rounds of County Championship matches. 

Yorkshire will take on Warwickshire (June 12-15) and Leicestershire (June 19-22) in their seventh and eighth round County Championship Division 1 matches. 

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After featuring in the famed domestic competition, Faheem will also participate in the T20 Blast 2026, England's premier white-ball tournament alongside The Hundred. 

“I’m delighted to be joining Yorkshire. Many of my fellow Pakistan players have represented the Club and have spoken highly of both the environment and the quality of players within the squad. I’m really looking forward to arriving at Headingley," Faheem said, as quoted by Yorkshire.  

Faheem Ashraf to play T20 Blast for Yorkshire

The Yorkshire County Cricket Club released an official press release, confirming Faheem Ashraf's signing as a replacement player for Will Sutherland. The Australian allrounder has notably withdrawn from the English domestic competitions due to an injury setback. 

In its statement, the Club confirmed that Faheem would be available throughout the T20 Blast, which is set to run from May 22 to July 12. Therefore, it's expected that Faheem Ashraf will also miss out on selection for Pakistan's international assignments during this period. 

Pakistan to drop Faheem Ashraf for Australia ODIs?

Therefore, apart from his County signing, another factor indicating Faheem Ashraf's snub from the Pakistan ODI squad vs Australia is his absence from the 28-member player pool for a seven-day white-ball camp at the NCA. 

Recently, the PCB summoned 28 white-ball specialists to the Lahore-based facility for an intra-squad tournament. 

Several senior players, including Fakhar Zaman, Aamir Jamal and Haris Rauf, have been called up by the board to showcase their readiness ahead of the high-profile home series. 

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson will pick the ODI squad for the Australia series after assessing these players' performances at the NCA camp. 

Despite not being a part of the Test team against Bangladesh, Faheem Ashraf failed to make it into the 28-member list. Thus, considering his County Championship commitments and exclusion from the probables listed for the Australia home series. 

Faheem Ashraf's career for Pakistan at a glance

The experienced allrounder has represented Pakistan across 147 international matches, including 17 Tests, 45 ODIs and 85 T20Is. 

He has scored 1691 runs while picking 119 wickets with his medium pace. Given that the conditions in England assist seam bowling, Faheem can be a valuable asset for Yorkshire in the County Championship as well as the T20 Blast 2026. 

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