Pakistan unveil Playing XI for first ODI against Australia

MELBOURNE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Playing XI for the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia, scheduled to be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on 4 November.

“The men’s national selection committee has confirmed Pakistan’s playing XI for the first ODI against Australia,” the PCB posted on their official social media accounts.

Notably, Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan will kick off his tenure with the first ODI against Australia after replacing Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role last month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Pakistan have opted to go with an all-pace strategy considering the conditions in Melbourne as they named Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Hasnain in their Playing XI.

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Meanwhile, opening batter Saim Ayub and middle-order batter Irfan Khan will make their ODI debuts.

Abdullah Shafique will open the innings alongside, Saim, while Babar, Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and Irfan will form the rest of the batting order.

Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.

Australia Playing XI: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

READ: Winning even one ODI in Australia would be a big deal for Pakistan: Wasim Akram