Pakistan have opted to rest speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi for the final Test match against Australia as the two teams are set to lock horns in the final assignment of the tour. Pakistan have notably made two alterations to the side after the Boxing Day Test, with Imam-Ul-Haq getting dropped in favour of Saim Ayub. The visitors are already trailing 0-2 in the three-match series. However, considering World Test Championship (WTC) points are at stake, dropping Afridi could be a risk for them in the final outcome.
Having struggled with injuries in the last 24 months, game management has been a key factor in Afridi’s run in the team. Pakistan were beaten convincingly in the first two Test matches, but team director Mohammad Hafeez had backed his side for a resolute show in the Boxing Day Test. With the series already lost, team management has decided against using the injury-prone Afridi. Instead, they will play one extra spinner in the form of Sajid Khan who was called in as a replacement for injured Abrar Ahmed.
Sajid has not played for the national side since the 2022 tour of Australia and will have the opportunity to impress the selectors in the SCG Test. Shaheen did not start on a high and scalped only two wickets in the opening Test in Perth with an aggregate of 172 runs in both innings. However, he was more effective in the second Test in Melbourne where he ended with figures of 2/85 & 4/76.
In another change, Imam-ul-Haq was dropped in favour of debutant Saim Ayub with little experience in first-class cricket. The 21-year-old has only played 14 first-class games and will face the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Imam’s omission from the side came after a net return of 94 runs in four innings in the tour.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal.
