All-rounder Faheem Ashraf and Hassan Ali have been ruled out of the first test match between Pakistan and Australia through injuries.
Pakistan Cricket Board has named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s captain Iftikhar Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr as their replacements for the first match of the three-match series.
Both Iftikhar and Wasim have reached Islamabad and started their three-day isolation at the team hotel after which they will join the rest of the squad after clearing covid tests.
Both Faheem Ashraf and Hassan are expected to regain full fitness before the second test which is set to take place in Karachi from 12-16th March.
The duo will rejoin the squad in the coming week. And after completing their three-day mandatory isolation, integrate with the rest of the squad during the first Test.
Pakistan’s updated roster for the first test includes Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haris Rauf (Northern), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh)
The first of test of the three match series will take place from 4-8th March in Rawalpindi
