AUS vs PAK: Saim Ayub gets debut call as Pakistan confirms lineup for Sydney Test

• Saim Ayub will make his Test debut against Australia.
• He has been called in place of Imam-ul-Haq.
• Pakistan has yet to register a win on Australian soil in Tests.

The right-handed young batter Saim Ayub will make his international Test debut as Pakistan confirm their playing XI for the third and final Test against Australia in Sydney.

Saim has been called in place of left-handed batter Imam-ul-Haq, who has been out of form for some time now.

The team management is reportedly not thrilled with Imam’s sluggish batting thus far in the series. In four innings, the left-hander has amassed 94 runs at a strikeout rate of 31.22.

The sources further stated that the team has received explicit instructions from management regarding how to play positive cricket.

Since the pitch is likely to help the slower bowlers, spinner Sajid Khan has been added in place of rested pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in an effort to improve the spin department.

Throughout the series, Shaheen has bowled the most overs—99.2—for either team.

In Melbourne, Australia defeated Pakistan by 79 runs in the second Test to secure the three-match Test series.

Pakistan was eliminated for 237 in their second innings on Friday, chasing a target of 317 runs.

An enraged Pat Cummins led Australia from the front and secured a thrilling victory with five wickets in the match. Additionally, the right-armer won Player of the Match.

In Perth, the hosts crushed the visitors by 360 runs in the opening Test.

Pakistan hasn’t played well in Australia, having won only one Test since 1995 and losing the last sixteen.

Playing XIs

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Sajid Khan, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal.

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