Saima Ayub will mark his Test debut at Sydney Cricket Ground, replacing Iman in the playing XI
Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have been dropped from the Sydney Test with opener Saim Ayub taking his place in the 11-men squad, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday.
This will be Ayub’s Test debut, as the Green Shirts will be up against Australia for the third Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 to 7.
Ayub has, so far, played only eight Twenty20 matches for Pakistan.
The team will also comprise captain Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Abrar Ahmed, Aamir Jamal and Mir Hamza.
Spinners Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed are included in the squad. The 25-year-old league-break googly bowler Ahmed was declared fit for Sydney Test. He played the last Test against Sri Lanka in July 2023.
Pakistan playing XI
Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub (debut), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Hassan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal.
