Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Preview: Probable Playing XI, Pitch Report and Head-to-Head

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Tomorrow morning, Pakistan walk out at Rawalpindi with a team that looks almost nothing like the one that left England a few weeks ago. The first Test against Sri Lanka starts on Monday, 9 November, at 10:00 in the morning — and honestly, it feels less like the start of a series and more like the start of a rebuild.

Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 in England. Seven players were sent home midway through that tour, and five members of the side that played the final Test at Edgbaston are not in this squad at all. Former captain Shan Masood, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and the spin pair of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali are all out. Babar Azam keeps the captaincy, but around him, almost everything has changed.

A New-Look Pakistan

Head coach Mike Hesson has made his intentions clear: fast, pace-friendly pitches at both venues, and a fresh opening combination. The PCB added four players to the squad on Saturday, 7 November — pace-bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal is back, and three youngsters have earned their first Test call-ups: batter Muhammad Tayyab Arif (19), fast bowler Ali Shabbir (19) and seamer Saqib Khan. All three impressed in the three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka at the Islamabad Club. Spinner Ali Usman and opener Abdullah Fazal were released from the original 14-member squad.

The big question is how many of the debutants go straight into the playing XI. The early signs point to a top order built around the newcomers, with Babar batting at three or four and the experienced Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha holding the middle order together.

Probable Playing XI — Pakistan

Azan Awais, Sameer Minhas, Muhammad Tayyab Arif, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Aamer Jamal, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, Saqib Khan.

Two spots are still open for debate: Arafat Minhas could take Aamer Jamal's place if Pakistan want an extra spinner, and Ali Shabbir is the alternative to Saqib Khan among the new fast bowlers. The final XI will only be confirmed at the toss.

Probable Playing XI — Sri Lanka

Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Lahiru Udara (wicketkeeper), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis (captain), Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

This is Kusal Mendis's first series as Sri Lanka's Test captain, taking over from Dhananjaya de Silva, who stays in the side. Sri Lanka are seventh in the World Test Championship table — two places above Pakistan — and they arrive knowing that Pakistan are wounded. Their danger men are Kamindu Mendis with the bat, left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, and the in-form all-rounder Sonal Dinusha.

Rawalpindi Pitch Report

Do not expect a green-top shootout. Rawalpindi's surface is mostly flat and batting-friendly — in four of the last five red-ball matches here, the team batting in the fourth innings has won. Bowlers will have to force mistakes rather than wait for the pitch to do the work. That suits Pakistan's plan of playing to their fast bowlers' strengths only if the new-ball pair of Mohammad Abbas and Aamer Jamal strike early; once the ball gets old, runs should come more easily.

Weather should not be a big problem: conditions are expected to stay dry for most of the match, with rain forecast only for Thursday.

Head-to-Head in Tests

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 59 Tests against each other. Pakistan have won 23, Sri Lanka 17, and 19 have been drawn. Their most recent meeting was in July 2023, which Pakistan won. History favours the hosts — but this Pakistan side has very little history of its own. Almost half the probable XI could be playing their first or second Test.

What Is at Stake?

Both Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Pakistan sit ninth — bottom of the table — having won only two of their nine matches in this cycle. Another defeat in Rawalpindi would all but end their already slim hopes of reaching the WTC final. Sri Lanka, in seventh, still have an outside chance, but only convincing wins will keep it alive.

For Pakistan, though, this series is about more than points. It is the first home assignment of the Hesson era, the first look at a genuinely new generation, and the first chance to show that the England disaster was a turning point rather than the new normal. Win in Rawalpindi, and the whole mood changes. Lose, and the questions will only get louder.

Series Schedule

• 1st Test: 9 to 13 November 2026 — Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi (starts 10:00 AM PKT)
• 2nd Test: 17 to 21 November 2026 — Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Cricket Khabar will bring you the full report, score and analysis after every day's play.

Sources: Dawn, NDTV, CricTracker and ePRESS reports of 8 November 2026. Playing XIs are probable line-ups reported before the toss; the confirmed XI will be announced at the toss.