Australia has announced an unchanged playing XI for the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the aim of securing the series. In contrast, Pakistan has made a significant change by excluding veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed.
In the previous Test at Perth, Australia dominated the match, defeating Pakistan by a margin of 360 runs within four days. The pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood performed exceptionally well in that game.
As a result, Scott Boland, who had a remarkable debut with figures of 6-7 at the MCG against England in 2021, will be left out for this match. However, Captain Pat Cummins expressed the team’s admiration for Boland and assured that he would play a part at some point.
The weather forecast indicates showers and possible thunderstorms on the opening day of play, but these conditions are expected to clear by Wednesday afternoon. Despite the initial inclement weather, Cummins is confident that there will be enough time to finish the game.
Pakistan has suffered from injuries since the Perth Test, with fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, and spinners Abrar Ahmed and Noman Ali ruled out of the upcoming match in Melbourne. In response to these setbacks, Pakistan has named a 12-man squad, which includes Mohammad Nawaz as the wicketkeeper and a competition for Shahzad’s spot in the bowling attack.
Sarfaraz Ahmed and pace bowler Faheem Ashraf have been excluded from the squad. Sajid Khan stands as the sole spin option for Pakistan in the upcoming game.
Both teams have announced their playing XIs for the match. Australia’s XI includes David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood. Pakistan’s XII consists of Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, and Sajid Khan.
(With AFP inputs)
Australia has announced their unchanged playing XI for the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Pakistan in Melbourne. The team aims to secure the series with a victory. In contrast, Pakistan has made a significant change by omitting veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed. Australia dominated the initial Test in Perth, defeating Pakistan by 360 runs. The pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood performed well in the match. Scott Boland, who had an impactful debut in 2021, will be left out for this match. The weather forecast predicts showers and possible thunderstorms on the opening day, but the captains are confident that there will be enough time to finish the game. Pakistan has suffered injuries since the Perth Test, with several players ruled out. They have named a 12-man squad, with Mohammad Nawaz taking on the wicketkeeping duties. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf have been excluded from the team. Australia’s XI includes David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood. Pakistan’s XII includes Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, and Sajid Khan.
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