Young talents earn maiden call-ups
Shan Masood will be leading Pakistan in the Test series against Australia. He recently took over the captaincy from Babar Azam for the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
Left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub has secured his maiden call-up to the Test squad following an outstanding performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24. With an impressive tally of 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites, including three centuries, Ayub has become a rising star in Pakistani cricket.
Similarly, 23-year-old fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, the leading wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, has also earned his maiden Test call-up. Shahzad’s exceptional performance in the domestic season, where he claimed 36 wickets in eight matches, has caught the selectors’ attention.
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Return of familiar names
Pace bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who has been unavailable from Test cricket since England’s tour of Pakistan in late 2022, is set to make his return to the squad. Additionally, left-arm pacer Mir Hamza and right-arm pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr, who were part of the squad during New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan in 2022-23, make their comeback to the Test lineup.
Pakistan’s Test squad for the Australia tour:
Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Also READ: Australian legend Matthew Hayden reflects on Babar Azam’s decision to step down as Pakistan captain in all formats
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