Shan Masood-led Pakistan is all set to kick off their three-game Test series against Australia. Both sides will face off at the Optus Stadium in Perth from Wednesday, December 14. Announcing their lineup for the first Test, Pakistan have once again decided to go with a relatively inexperienced lineup.
Pacers Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad will be making their debut in the longest format, and they will be accompanied by Shaheen Afridi leading the attack. However, with three pacers in the lineup, there is no room for a specialist spin option on the side. Hasan and Noman Ali will be sitting out as part-spinners, and batter Agha Salman will be featured in the lineup.
The absence of a specialist spinner comes after an injury to Abrar Ahmed derailed Pakistan’s plans. His inclusion in the second and third Tests remains questionable. Sajid Khan came in as an emergency replacement for Ahmed. He arrived in Australia on December 12, and his inclusion in the first Test was deemed very unlikely.
Pakistan back pace pace-dominated bowling attack under their new captain Shan Masood
As per the norm, a pacer-friendly pitch could be in play at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and Pakistan’s decision to play a pace-dominated lineup could prove to be beneficial for the side. Notably, Agha Salman will be the sole spinner for the visitors in the upcoming match. On the other hand, Australia announced their lineup for the first Test a few days ago.
Three pacers, Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Lyon as the senior spinner, will feature for Australia in the first Test in Perth. Both Australia and Pakistan will hope for a good performance in the series opener and will look to get off to a positive start to the new cycle of the World Test Championship. Coming on the back of a subpar showing in the ODI World Cup 2023, where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stage, it will be interesting to see how things pan out for the Asian side under their new Test captain, Shan Masood.
Pakistan’s playing XI for first Test against Australia:
Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad