Pakistan’s Test tour of Australia begins on December 14 (Thursday); here are the selection questions for the team ahead of the game in Perth.
Who bats at No.7?
Pakistan has a solid top line with Abdullah Shafiq and Imam-ul-Haq serving as the opening pitchers, followed by new captain Shan Masood, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. . Masood recently confirmed that given Sarfaraz Ahmed’s recent form, he will start in the eleven ahead of Mohammad Rizwan, but if he wants to add a punch in bouncy conditions, The team could consider having both on the team.
Rizwan’s batting average was 39.52, which rose to 42.53 in the ‘SENA’ countries, where he scored 6 fifties in 14 innings in this format. The last time Rizwan toured Australia, he scored his 37, 95, 0, 45 with a strike rate of 62. Shafiq and Shakeel are yet to play a single Test in Australia and Pakistan may be looking to gain more experience with Rizwan.
We also have Salman Agha who scored 132 in his last Test innings against Sri Lanka. He has scored 200 and 450 in nine Tests, but he has only played in Asia so far. Faheem Ashraf’s average batting average of 28.04 allows Pakistan to field five bowlers, including spinners and four-seamer, but his use could reduce his batting power.
Who replaces Abrar Ahmed?
Leg-spinner Abler, who made a great start in Test cricket with 38 wickets in six matches, will miss the first match in Perth due to a right foot injury. Pakistan replaced him with Sajid Khan, leaving Noman Ali as the only spinner in the team.
Norman, 37, took seven wickets in his last Test innings, but the Perth wicket did not suit his bowling style. A full-fledged left-arm spinner, he usually excels on slow and low wickets and has only played in three Tests away from home.
Sajid, on the other hand, has taken 22 wickets in 7 Tests, although he last played a Test in March 2022.
Should Pakistan go in with an all-seam attack?
With 10mm of grass left at Optus Stadium ahead of the first Test match, a Perth curator predicted the wicket would be fast, hard and bouncy. If the wicket goes as expected, Pakistan are likely to go with an all-seam attack, especially given the spin dilemma they find themselves in.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Faheem will be the four quicks, with the latter also functioning as the de facto number eight. However, apart from Shaheen, the pace attack lacks playing time. Hassan last played a Test earlier this year, while Wasim Junior and Faheem are not part of the 2023 format.
