LAHORE:
The Pakistan cricket board (PCB) has announced an updated squad to face Australia in three test series and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been omitted due to an injury.
Nawaz has been ruled out of the series because of a foot injury and he will not be replaced, while Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed have now been added as traveling reserves, said a spokesperson of the PCB here on Wednesday night.
However, Shah and Sarfaraz will only be considered for selection if there is an injury.
Mohammad Haris has been added to the reserve players list. However, he, along with Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah have been advised to participate in the Pakistan Cup which commences on March 2, PCB said.
If required, they will be drafted into the side, it was said.
The much-awaited Test series against Australia will commence on March 4 in Rawalpindi. This will be the first time an Aussie squad will visit Pakistan in 24 years.
15-player squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, and Zahid Mahmood.
Test schedule:
March 4-8 — First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16 — Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25 — Third Test, Lahore