Published 16:49 IST, October 21st 2019
Sarfaraz Ahmed ignored for Australian tour as PCB announces the squads
Sarfaraz Ahmed has been ignored for the upcoming T20I and Test series against Australia. PCB had announced the 16-member squad for Tests and T20Is on Monday
Sarfaraz Ahmed was recently sacked as Pakistan captain from the game's longest as well as the shortest formats i.e. Tests and T20Is. Azhar Ali has been appointed as the Test captain while Babar Azam will be leading the team in the T20Is. Azam is currently the top-ranked batsman and Pakistan are the top-ranked side in the shortest format of the game. Meanwhile, it seems that even after being removed from captaincy, Ahmed's problems are only increasing. It has now been learned that he will not be a part of the Australian tour.
Sarfaraz finds no place for the Australian tour
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced their 16-man squad for the upcoming Test and T20Is against Australia. However, Sarfaraz Ahmed failed to consolidate his place in either of the squads. Former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who is the head coach, as well as the chief selector of the national team, said that the Australian tour will present the players with different and exciting challenges.
"We know that Australia will present different and exciting challenges for us. There is a need to play a different type of cricket, the balance of the squads is reflective of us having options to play aggressive, attacking cricket," Misbah-ul-Haq said in a statement.
Pakistan Tour of Australia
Pakistan will be visiting Australia for three T20Is which will be followed by a two-match Test series from 3rd November to 3rd December 2019.
Here's the entire Pakistan squad that has been named for both Tests as well as the T20I series.
T20Is squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz.
Tests squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan Snr, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 18:14 IST, October 21st 2019