PAK V AUS: Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf And Hasan Ali Ruled Out Of Rawalpindi Test Due To Injuries

Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and fast bowler Hasan Ali have been ruled out of the upcoming first Test match against Australia which is scheduled to be played on March 4, 2022, onwards in Rawalpindi, after suffering injuries. The absence of Faheem and Hasan will be a big blow to Pakistan as they have been regular members of the Test side in the last 12 months.

Australian team arrived in Pakistan for the three-match Test, three ODIs, and only T20I match tour on February 27, 2022, and landed in Islamabad. This is the first time Australia is touring Pakistan since 1998, as the two sides met in middle-east, Sri Lanka, and even England after that.

The second Test match of the series will be played in Karachi from March 12-16 and the final third Test match will be hosted by Lahore from March 21-25.

Iftikhar Ahmed And Fast Bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr Named Replacements For Faheem Ashraf And Hasan Ali

Earlier, all-rounder, Mohammad Nawaz was also ruled out of the entire Test series, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announcing a 16-man squad for the series. Haris Rauf, who was in the side for South Africa and Zimbabwe Tests in 2021, has returned to replace off-spinner Bilal Asif, while Shan Masood, who last played in New Zealand in the 2020-21 season, has taken over from Abid Ali, who is completing his rehabilitation after being diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Now as Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali are ruled out of the first Test in Rawalpindi, PCB named Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim Jnr as their replacements. Both the players will start their three-day hotel quarantine from Monday, February 28, before joining the rest of the squad should they clear the COVID test.

However, the Pakistan board also said that both Faheem and Hasan are expected to regain full fitness before the second Test (12-16 March) and return to the squad after completing mandatory isolation.

Updated Pakistan team Test squad: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, and Zahid Mahmood

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