The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced an 11-man squad for the Sydney Test match against Australia, set to start on January 3.
This will be Pakistan’s final assignment in Australia, and the team has opted not to include star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Imam-ul-Haq for the final Test.
The squad for the Sydney Test includes captain Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafiq, Saim Ayub (making his Test debut), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Rizwan, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Amir Jamal, and Mir Hamza.
Australia currently holds a decisive 2-0 advantage in the series, continuing their dominance over Pakistan.
In the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia thwarted Pakistan’s attempt to secure their first win since 1995, winning the match by 79 runs under the leadership of Pat Cummins.
Former Cricketer Junaid Khan Takes Helm As Pakistan U-19 Bowling Coach
Meanwhile, former fast bowler Junaid Khan has been named the bowling coach for the Pakistan U-19 cricket team, succeeding Rehan Riaz.
The 34-year-old’s initial task will be to prepare the U-19 team for the upcoming World Cup scheduled to take place in South Africa starting January 19.
Junaid Khan, who represented Pakistan in 22 Tests, 76 ODIs, and 9 T20Is from 2011 to 2019, brings his experience to the coaching role. The appointment aligns with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to enhance coaching expertise at the youth level.
In a related development, legendary cricketer Mohammad Yousuf was appointed as the head coach of the national U-19 team by the PCB last month.
Yousuf expressed gratitude to PCB management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf for entrusting him with the role and pledged to leverage his experience working with senior teams to nurture young talent and help them ascend to the international stage.
