PAK vs AUS: Naseem Shah replaces Covid-hit Haris Rauf for first Test

In their first ever Test series against Australia at home in the 21st century, Pakistan have been compelled to effect more changes in their squad for the first game. The home side lost fast bowler Haris Rauf due to Covid-19 and he has been replaced by Naseem Shah, who was originally picked as a travelling reserve.

Rauf will be in isolation for five days after testing positive and join the squad back once his quarantine gets over. The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the rest of the squad and the support staff were made to undergo testing after Rauf’s result came out. To the home team’s relief, all the remaining members tested negative.

Naseem last played in a Test in January 2021

The 19-year-old Naseem’s last appearance in Tests was in January last year in Christchurch, New Zealand, and he is likely to battle with rookie Mohammed Wasim Junior for a berth in the playing XI for the first match in Rawalpindi kicking off on Friday, March 4.

Naseem made his Test debut against the Australians Down Under in November 2019 and has so far played nine games in which he has picked 20 wickets at an average of 42.45 with one five-wicket haul.

Rauf, on the other hand, is yet to play a long-format game for Pakistan. He, however, is a regular member of his country’s white-ball squads and was expected to make his debut in the red-ball cricket following injuries to the likes of Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf.

The second and third matches of the Test series will be played in Karachi between March 12 and 16 and Lahore between March 21 and 25, respectively. Pakistan will be led by Babar Azam while Australia is captained by Pat Cummins.

The two sides will also play three one-day internationals in Rawalpindi on March 29, March 31 and April 2 and a T20 international at the same venue on April 5.

The upcoming series has also come under the scanner over a social media threat issued to Australia cricketer Ashton Agar who has been warned against travelling to the Asian country. However, the cricket boards of both Pakistan and Australia and government security agencies probed the threat and dismissed it. On Monday, February 28, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the threat was issued to Agar’s partner, reportedly on social media platform Instagram.