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Saim Ayub And...? Mohammad Rizwan Likely To Drop These 3 Players In 2nd ODI Vs Australia

Saim Ayub flopped with the bat in 1st ODI [Source: @Osamahunyr/X]Saim Ayub flopped with the bat in 1st ODI [Source: @Osamahunyr/X]

On Friday, Pakistan will cross swords against Australia in the second One-Day International of the ongoing three-match series. Led by Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan had a poor start to the series, losing the opening clash at the MCG by a narrow two-wicket margin. Despite putting up a fight, Pakistan couldn't defend 203 runs, with Pat Cummins powering Australia past the finish line. 

Although Pakistan were clinical on the bowling front, their batting department couldn't live up to the hype in Melbourne. While skipper Rizwan was the top-scorer for the visitors, nobody apart from him, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah breached the 30-run mark. So, as the visitors gear up for the do-or-die encounter in Adelaide, let's see which players they might drop for this game.

Saim Ayub

Hailed for his scintillating stroke play, Saim Ayub had a forgettable ODI debut at the Gee, with Mitchell Starc dismissing him for one run. Ayub, who recently struck a few impressive cameos in home Tests, hasn't been quite remarkable in white-ball cricket. His technical flaws have been exploited by the opponents, and this is the reason why Pakistan might consider replacing him with Haseebullah at the top order. 

Irfan Khan Niazi

Pakistan's 21-year-old all-rounder Irfan Khan Niazi had an eventful day on the field in the first ODI against Australia at MCG. After dropping a sitter, the youngster held on to a spectacular catch, helping Shaheen Afridi dismiss Josh Inglis in the nerve-wracking affair. 

However, Aamir Jamal is still a better prospect than Irfan with bat and ball. Jamal was impressive with the bat during the Test tour earlier this year. A clean striker of the ball, Jamal can also chip in with a few overs of medium pace and utilise the seam-friendly conditions Down Under. 

Mohammad Hasnain

Mohammad Hasnain earned an ODI recall following his recent exploits in Pakistan's domestic One-Day tournament. However, the right-arm pacer looked lacklustre with the ball, conceding 51 runs at an economy of 7.12 in the MCG ODI. 

So, considering it's a must-win match for the visitors, Pakistan's team management might replace him with Faisal Akram to add some spin to their bowling attack. The left-arm chinaman bowler can bamboozle the Aussies with his wrist spin in the middle overs.