Selectors name debutants Ayub, Shahzad in Pakistan Test squad for Australia series

By Special Correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket selectors, headed by former pacer Wahab Riaz, on Monday included debutants Saim Ayub and Khurram Shahzad in Pakistan’s 18-member squad for the three-match Test series against Australia, which starts next month. Left-handed opener Ayub, 21, made a strong impression in the Pakistan Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. He scored 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites and had three centuries to his name, including a match-winning double-century against Faisalabad in the final. Right-arm fast bowler Shahzad, 23, was the highest wicket-taker in Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, this season. In Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he claimed 36 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.31. “Saim Ayub has been added to the squad after the extraordinary domestic season he has had this year. He has impressed with the bat during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup, pushing the case for his selection. His inclusion will strengthen our solid batting line-up,” Wahab said while speaking about Saim’s inclusion in the squad. “Pakistan has started off the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 really well, after their success in Sri Lanka earlier this year,” he said. “We hope that the team can carry this momentum ahead in Australia as well. We have tried to ensure that the team has all relevant resources to find success in Australia.” Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza and Mohammad Wasim Jr were all re-called to the squad. Shan Masood will lead the team for the first time after taking over the role from Babar Azam. “The squad has been assembled keeping in mind the challenging Australian conditions,” new chief selector Wahab said. “We have kept the pitches in mind and added more pace bowling resources to the team to ensure that the management can be flexible with the team combinations in all three Test matches,” he added. The first Test starts in Perth on Dec. 14.

Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Chief selector flays pacer Rauf for opting out of Australia Tests:

Meanwhile, chief selector Wahab launched a withering critique of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, claiming he had backed out of being a part of the Test squad for the tour of Australia and that it would “hurt Pakistan cricket”. At his first press conference since being appointed to the role, Wahab announced Pakistan’s 18-member squad, but almost instantly, shifted focus towards Rauf’s non-selection, accusing the player of going back on his word. We spoke to Haris Rauf for this tour,” Wahab said. “When we spoke to him two days ago, he gave his consent to play Test cricket for Pakistan. But last night he changed his mind, and now he doesn’t want to be part of this Test series. I’m revealing this because we should be honest with officials, team-mates, and the public. We spoke to Haris and he was worried about his body and fitness, as well as his workload. Mohammad Hafeez and I sat with him and tried to facilitate him in every way. We told him even if he didn’t perform well there, we would accept it. Our physio spoke to him and said he wouldn’t expect any issue or injury. Of course there’s fatigue, but we were sure we could have managed that very well. But he pulled out at the last moment and he made himself unavailable. I think this will hurt Pakistan cricket.” Wahab also mentioned about the other talking points around the selection of the first Pakistan squad since Babar Azam quit captaincy, but repeatedly found himself drawing back towards Rauf.

That Rauf’s absence provoked such a strong reaction is something of a surprise for cricketing reasons, too. Rauf has only ever played one Test match, the first against England in Rawalpindi last year. He got injured after bowling 13 overs in the first innings, and did not bowl thereafter. He was not a part of Pakistan’s squad for the away series in Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 2-0. But the conditions in Australia, coupled with the unavailability of Naseem Shah and Ihsanullah, means Wahab appears to have felt strongly about having Rauf on tour. The conflict between player and selector sets up a fascinating showdown ahead of the Big Bash League in Australia. Rauf is considered a marquee player for the Melbourne Stars. The league starts on December 13 and runs until February 4, overlapping with all three Tests in Australia, and would have hindered his availability had he been a part of the Pakistan squad.