Pak vs Aus: Australia decides to bat first in deciding third Test

Australian skipper Pat Cummins decided to bat first in the third and final Test match of the series against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The visitors kept the same team that drew the second Test in Karachi last week, while Pakistan brought in fast bowler Naseem Shah in place of all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

The three-Test series is deadlocked at 0-0 after the first Test in Rawalpindi also ended in a draw.

The Test is the first to take place in Lahore since 2009 fatal terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus that forced Pakistan to play their home matches abroad, mostly in the United Arab Emirates.

Australia are touring Pakistan for the first time since 1998, having previously refused to play in the country because of security fears.

Squads

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Ahsan Raza (PAK)

TV umpire: Asif Yaqoob (PAK)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)