Pakistan announce Test squad for Australia series

Pakistan on Wednesday named a 16-member squad, excluding five reserves for their historic home Test series against Australia. 

Australia is set to visit Pakistan after 24 years as the tour comprises three Tests, three ODIs and a solitary T20I.

Talking about Pakistan's squad, Babar Azam will continue as the Test skipper. Mohammad Rizwan will don the wicket-keeping gloves along with playing the vice-captain's role. 

Shan Masood makes his return to the Test squad. Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam and Imam-ul-Haq are other notable names that fill up the batting department.

Haris Rauf is also surprisingly included in the squad. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali will act as the leading pacers, while Faheem Ashraf found a place in the all-rounder's spot. 

The spin department includes promising talents such as Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.

Notably, five players in the form of Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah have been kept as the reserves for the series.

Former Australia pacer Shaun Tait has been roped in by the PCB as the fast bowling coach of the national side for the next 12 months. Saqlain Mushtaq will continue as the head coach, while Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed as the batting coach for the Australia series.

Meanwhile, Abid Ali misses out on the important Test series, after his heroics in Bangladesh, due to acute coronary syndrome.

Chief selector Muhammad Wasim detailed the vision regarding the selection strategy, saying, "We have opted for consistency for the important home series against Australia and changes have only been made where absolutely necessary. This is to give the boys confidence, reward them for their impressive performances in the longer version of the game in 2021 and continue to build the side for the future."

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.

Reserves: Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah