LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector Wahab Riaz announced on Monday an 18member Pakistan Test squad for the tour to Australia.
Shan Masood will be leading the side in his first assignment as Test captain. He was named Pakistan’s captain for the ICC World Test Championship 202325 cycle after taking over the reins from Babar Azam last week.
Lefthanded opening batter Saim Ayub has earned his maiden callup to the Test team after an impressive run in QuaideAzam Trophy 202324. The 22yearold scored 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites and had three centuries to his name, including a matchwinning double century against Faisalabad in the final of the tournament.
He continued his form in the Pakistan Cup (oneday tournament), where he was named the best batter of the tournament, ending as the competition’s highest rungetter.
Rightarm fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has also been awarded his maiden Test callup, on the back of a successful domestic season thus far. The 23yearold was the highest wickettaker of QuaideAzam Trophy 202324 with 36 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.31 and picked up 13 wickets at 16.62 in the recently concluded Pakistan Cup.
Pace bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who last appeared in Tests for Pakistan during England’s tour of Pakistan in late 2022 has returned to the squad.
Leftarm pacer Mir Hamza, who registered 32 wickets at 20.88 in QuaideAzam Trophy 202324, and rightarm pacer Mohammad Wasim Jnr are making a return to the squad as well. The two fast bowlers were part of Pakistan’s squad during New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan that took place from December 2022 to January 2023.