Pakistan handed a maiden Test call-up to teenage pacer Shaheen Afridi as they announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

While the 18-year-old was rewarded for his outstanding form in the T20 series, where he has picked up eight wickets in two matches, there was disappointment for opening batsman Fakhar Zaman who failed to find a place in the squad.

Fakhar had made his Test debut in the recent series against Australia where he registered scores of 94 and 66 in his two innings. Despite that showing, the left-hander has not been retained for the two-Test series and has instead been handed a rest along with leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

Both players have been advised to undergo training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

Shadab Khan has been given a rest.

Batsman Saad Ali has been handed a maiden call-up as well after his innings of 144 for Pakistan A in the unofficial Test against New Zealand A recently.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi has been included in the Test squad because of his current form. Saad Ali has been included in the squad after his performances in domestic cricket and recent Pakistan ‘A’ series in the UAE,” Pakistan chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said in a release.

“The team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions of the UAE, where Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman have been rested from the Test matches and have also been advised to undergo training at the NCA.”

There was once again no place in the squad for pacer Mohammad Amir who continues to grind it out in domestic cricket with Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas and Mir Hamza providing the pace options for the series.

Off-spinner Bilal Asif retains his place in the Test squad after an impressive debut series showing against Australia.

The first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand gets underway on November 16 in Dubai with the final match commencing in Abu Dhabi on November 24.

PAKISTAN 15-MAN TEST SQUAD:

Mohammad Hafeez, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Saad Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Mir Hamza.