LAHORE – The opening batters, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, will not be available for selection for the upcoming three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the Australia national cricket team, scheduled to begin on 30 May during Australia’s tour of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that both players are currently recovering from injuries and have been advised to continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel. Consequently, they have been ruled out of selection for the ODI series.
The PCB wishes both players a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing them return to competitive cricket at the earliest opportunity.
“Further updates regarding the squad and player fitness will be shared in due course,” the board said in a press release.
Earlier this month, the PCB announced the match officials for the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, set to take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 30 May to 4 June. Sri Lanka’s Graeme La Brooy, who played nine Tests and 44 ODIs from 1986 to 1992, will lead the playing control team as match referee in all three ODIs.
Pakistan’s Ahsan Raza, England’s Richard Kettleborough and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena – all part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will perform duties as on-field umpires during the series. In the first ODI set to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 30 May, Dharmasena will be joined by Pakistan’s Asif Yaqoob (ICC Emerging Umpires Panel) as on-field umpire.
In the second ODI at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 2 June, Pakistan’s Faisal Khan Aafreedi (ICC International Panel of Umpires) will join Kettleborough as on-field umpire, while Ahsan and Dharmasena will serve as on-field umpires for the third ODI at the same venue on 4 June. Pakistan’s Nasir Hussain – member of the ICC International Panel of Umpires will perform duties as fourth umpire in the third ODI.
