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Australia (Image Credit: Twitter)
In what comes as big news, Pakistan has announced their squad for the three-match Test series against Australia. This 16-member side is all set to play against the Aussies in a historic series, starting on March 4. Australia will be travelling to the Asian nation after 24 years.
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The last time they visited Pakistan for a series was way back in 1998. As far as Pakistan's Test squad is concerned, Babar Azam will be leading the team, and Mohammad Rizwan will serve as his deputy. While the squad consists of most of the regulars, Abid Ali won't be available for the series as he underwent angioplasty a couple of months ago amid heart issues.
The most noticeable inclusion is that of Haris Rauf, who has been a regular in the shorter versions of the game. However, he is yet to make his red-ball debut. Nevertheless, Shaheen Afridi will lead their pace attack, and Faheem Ashraf is expected to play as the all-rounder in the side.
As far as their spin department is concerned, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan have been picked in the squad as well. Bilal Asif, however, is a notable exclusion. In the meanwhile, the PCB has also named five reserve players, them being Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah.
“We have opted for consistency for the important home series against Australia and changes have only been made where absolutely necessary. This is to give the boys confidence, reward them for their impressive performances in the longer version of the game in 2021 and continue to build the side for the future," said chief selector Muhammad Wasim. Last but not the least, Shaun Tait has been appointed as the bowling coach of the team.
Pakistan squad for Australia Tests: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, M Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood
Reserves: Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah