Saim Ayub To Debut As Pakistan Name Playing XI For SCG Test; Afridi Rested

Saim Ayub to debut as Pakistan name playing XI for SCG Test; Afridi rested (Image Source: IANS)

ICC World Test Championship: Pakistan on Tuesday revealed their Playing-XI for the third and final test against Australia with left-handed batter Saim Ayub set to make his Test debut.

Opener Imam-ul-Haq and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi are two major missing with 21-year-old Saim and 30-year-old Sajid Khan have been drafted into their place.

Saim, who made his T20I debut in March last year comes in the team on back of impressive List A performances for Karachi. This will be his first Test match. In the 8 T20Is he has played so far, he has scored 123 runs at an average of 17.57.

Sajid returned to the Test arena, after a gap of nearly two years, having last during Australia's 2022 tour of Pakistan. has a decent record in Tests with 22 wickets in seven games.

Earlier on Tuesday, Australia revealed the playing XI for the Sydney Test against Pakistan, beginning on Wednesday, with the skipper confirming no changes have been made for Pink ball Test.

The third Test will be played in Sydney from January 3 to 7. Australia have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and are currently No.3 on the ICC World Test Championship table.

Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub - (Debut), Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood - (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, M Rizwan - (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Hassan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal