Opener Saim Ayub and fast-bowler Khurram Shahzad have received their first Test call-ups for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Australia. Pakistan will be headed by a new captain, Shan Masood, and will face Australia in three Tests.
Chief selector Wahab Riaz has named an 18-man Pakistan Test squad for the upcoming visit to Australia, which will include three matches from December 14 to January 7, 2024. Wahab’s first duty after taking over as chairman of the national men’s selection committee last week.
Shan Masood will skipper the team in his debut Test appearance. After taking over from Babar Azam last week, he was selected Pakistan’s captain for the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
After an outstanding performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24, left-handed opening hitter Saim Ayub has received his first Test call-up. The 22-year-old batsman made 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites, including a match-winning double century against Faisalabad in the tournament final. He maintained his form in the Pakistan Cup (one-day tournament), where he was voted the tournament’s top hitter and finished as the competition’s highest run-getter.
Khurram Shahzad, a right-arm fast bowler, has also been called up for his first Test after a good domestic season. The 23-year-old took 36 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.31 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24 and 13 wickets at 16.62 in the just concluded Pakistan Cup.
Faheem Ashraf, a pace bowling all-rounder who last played a Test for Pakistan during England’s visit of Pakistan in late 2022, has rejoined the squad.
Mir Hamza, a left-arm pacer who took 32 wickets at 20.88 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr, a right-arm pacer, have both returned to the squad. The two fast bowlers were members of Pakistan’s squad during New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan in December 2022 and January 2023.
Pakistan’s Test squad for Australia includes: 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
