Pakistan announce playing XI for the 1st Test against Australia; Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad handed Test debuts
Pakistan have announced their playing XI for the first Test against Australia, which will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth from Thursday onwards. New Test skipper Shan Masood will lead the Men in Green for the first time since Babar Azam's resignation as captain following the 2023 ODI World Cup debacle.
Pacers Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad will make their Test debuts and will forge the pace attack with spearhead Shaheen Afridi and all-rounder Faheen Ashraf. Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza missed out on the playing XI while Naseem Shah is not part of the squad due to a shoulder injury.
The stable opening pair of Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq will open the batting while skipper Shan Masood slots in at No. 3. The middle order comprises Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel, while Sarfaraz Ahmed will keep wickets, pushing Mohammad Rizwan out of the playing XI.
Pakistan lost the services of spinner Abrar Ahmed for the first Test after he sustained an injury during the warm-up clash against the Prime Minister's XI. In his absence, the Men in Green have not named a frontline spinner in their playing XI, with all-rounder Salman Ali Agha preferred over Noman Ali.
Pakistan playing XI for the first Test against Australia
Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad.
"We all love playing Test cricket, it's the ultimate, it's the pinnacle" - Pakistan captain Shan Masood ahead of the first Test against Australia
Shan Masood has a challenging assignment to kickstart his captaincy stint. Pakistan last won a Test in Australia back in 1996 and have since lost each of their last 14 Tests Down Under.
"You have to be positive.It's picking your battles, it's being sensible, and it's about seeing the requirement of the games and seeing what are the ways we can save time in the game and create a situation where taking 20 wickets would be easy," Masood said
The newly-appointed Test skipper had mentioned during the pre-match press conference that Pakistan would have one more look at the playing XI before deciding on the team combination.
"It's not enough, we'd obviously like more Test cricket. We all love playing Test cricket, it's the ultimate, it's the pinnacle. I think by being a side that is a winning side, that produces results at home and overseas, we might get more Test cricket in the future. For us it's about the bigger picture. We want to come into these conditions and see what are the best ways to win a cricket match. We'll make mistakes, we might not get over the line, but it'll be a great learning for us," he further stated.
Australia have also named their playing XI for the first Test. The Pat Cummins-led side features the return of Nathan Lyon along expected lines, as well as David Warner, who will play his final Test series.
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