Pakistan final 12 announced for the second test against Australia: Pakistan has announced the final 12 players for the Boxing Day Test match against Australia. The Pakistani team management has replaced experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed with Mohammad Rizwan.
The second Test between Pakistan and Australia will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26. Pakistan had to make changes due to injuries to both Shoaib Malik and Khurram Shahzad. Apart from these two, the team has also decided to bench Sarfaraz.
Sarfaraz scored three and four runs, respectively, in both innings of the first Test played in Perth. Under the leadership of Shan Masood, the team will look forward to a better performance in the upcoming match and will rely on Rizwan to score in the middle order.
Captain Shan Masood said to reporters, “We feel Rizwan is ready to play, and we thought of giving Sarfaraz a break to bring back his confidence. This is a strategic decision, keeping in mind the conditions of the MCG.” Sarfaraz was dismissed by Mitchell Starc in both innings of the first match.
Pakistan final 12 announced for the second test against Australia
No place for Boland in MCG
After winning the first Test in Perth by 360 runs, Australia made no changes to their playing eleven. They have opted to keep out star bowler Scott Boland, who took six wickets in his debut Test against England in the 2021–22 season, from the playing eleven.
Australia playing-11
Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, David Warner, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), and Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan last-12
Abdullah Shafiq, Imam ul Haq, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Aga, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal, and Sajid Khan.
