Pakistan are without Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf for the three-match series in Australia, being played for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy. They lost the first match, at the Perth Stadium, by 360 runs inside four days.

To make things worse, they have faced three subsequent injury blows. Khurram Shahzad, who claimed five wickets on debut at Perth, has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with “a stress fracture in his left 10th rib, as well as an abdominal muscle tear”.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who had earlier injured his finger, went down with “acute appendicitis”, and will play no further part in the series either. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who had missed the first Test match, will miss the second game as well.

Pakistan had earlier flown out off-spinner Sajid Khan as Abrar’s cover. They have now named all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz as replacement for Noman.

Ahead of the second Test, starting on Boxing Day December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pakistan have named a 12-man squad, from which they will pick 11 for the match. In that, they have replaced wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed with Mohammad Rizwan, and have included Mir Hamza and Sajid, at most one of whom is likely to feature in the XI.

Pakistan announce 12-man squad for second Test 🏏

The final XI will be named tomorrow.#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/hZsky4cPcN

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 25, 2023

Ahead of the Test match, Pakistan had played a two-day game against a Victoria XI. After making 3 and 4 in the Perth Test, Sarfraz scored 35 and 10 in the tour match, where Rizwan retired out after making 50.

Hamza opened the bowling in the same match, taking 1-69 in 13 overs, while Sajid’s 11 overs fetched him 1-53.