Amir dropped, Fakhar Zaman retained:Pakistan announce squad for Australia series

As a result of the horrendous Asia Cup campaign, Mohammad Amir has lost his place in Pakistan’s Test team while Fakhar Zaman who too fared poorly has been surprisingly retained in the squad which will lock horns against Australia in October.

Team management look beyond Amir

Mohammad Amir is always regarded highly for his potential to make the ball talk even in the most unfriendly conditions but his performance wasn’t up to the mark in the recent times. Despite several opportunities, the pacer failed to make any impact and finally, the team management has decided to move on with him.

Instead of Amir, Pakistan have selected Junaid Khan who was impressive in the only game he played in Asia Cup. The pacer picked four wickets against Bangladesh. Muhammad Abbas and  Hassan Ali are the other seamers in the squad. There is also a new face in the pace department in the form of Mir Hamza.

Fakhar Zaman gets a longer rope

 Fakhar Zaman’s failure to get runs at the top of the order was one of the key reasons for Pakistan’s exit from the Asia Cup. But it seems that the team management still has confidence in the left-hand batsman as he finds himself in the seventeen member Test squad.

Also read: Asia Cup, the team of the tournament so far 

Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq will strengthen Pakistan’s middle order while the presence of Babar Azam will be a bonus. Sarfaraz Ahmad will lead the team although his captaincy came under the scanner after the Asia Cup.

Pakistan’s squad for Australia Test series

The first Test between Australia and Pakistan will begin on October 7 in Dubai. The 17 member squad of Pakistan-

Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), Fakhar Zaman, Imam Ul Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin,  Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Muhammad Abbas, Hassan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, and Mir Hamza.