PAK vs AUS: Pakistan Name Mohammad Nawaz As Replacement For Noman Ali For Australia Tests

Pakistan Cricket Team have announced the replacement for injured spinner Noman Ali ahead of the second Test against Australia. The Boxing Day game between the teams will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 26th December.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz will be replacing Noman Ali in the squad for the remaining two games. The latter has been ruled out of the series due to appendicitis. Nawaz will now be joining the team ahead of the second Test. His presence will allow Pakistan to have balance in the team which they lacked in the first game in Perth.

Mohammad Nawaz has been terrific for Pakistan in his short career so far. The all-rounder has played 6 Test games for far and has picked 16 wickets in that. He has been handy with the bat as well as he has scored 144 runs batting down the order.

With Abrar Ahmed still to recover, Mohammad Nawaz can walk straight into the XI for the second Test in Melbourne. Pakistan lacked a quality spinner spinner the first game and it’s fair to say that the game drifted away from them because of that.

But with the presence of Mohammad Nawaz now, Pakistan will look better on the paper. The spinner needs to play a huge role if the Shan Masood-led side have to fancy their chances of staging the comeback and winning the MCG Test.

Pakistan have lost quite a few players due to injuries in the ongoing tour. They already were without the services of Naseem Shah, who got injured in the Asia Cup, and now they have lost, Khurram Shahzad, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed.

Khurram Shahzad played the first game and was impressive as he removed Steve Smith in both innings and picked up three wickets in the second innings. Abrar Ahmed on the other hand injured himself ahead of the first game and is expected to join the team for the third Test in Sydney.

PAK vs AUS: Mohammad Nawaz was the best choice available – Chief selector Wahab Riaz

Mohammad Nawaz, who is part of the Pakistan squad for the T20I series against New Zealand, will be taking the first flight to Australia. Chief selector Wahab Riaz opened up about the injury woes of the team and said that it was unfortunate that Noman Ali was ruled out.

He also explained why management went with Mohammad Nawaz, stating that they needed a left-arm spinner in the team and also with visa issues for young players, they had to name Nawaz. Releasing an official statement, he explained:

“It is really unfortunate that Noman Ali is not available for the Test matches. Due to logistical challenges, including visa issues for any new player, and considering the requirement for a left-arm spinner, Nawaz was the best choice available.”

Pakistan suffered a thrashing 360-run defeat in the first game at Perth. They looked clueless against hosts, who blew them away. They would be hoping to stage a strong comeback now. It remains to be seen what will be their reply after loss.