Fresh faces to confront Aussies in Pakistan

Australia will be confronted by some unfamiliar faces for the opening Test in Rawalpindi next week, with just two members of Pakistan's XI from their most recent win against Australia set to play in the three-match series.

Established names like skipper Babar Azam, veteran Azhar Ali, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the home side in the three-Test series, but bowling stars Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah as well as batting stalwart Asad Shafiq have been on the outer for Pakistan's recent Test resurgence and have not been named in their 15-man squad.

In their place have been fast man Hasan Ali, resurgent left-hander Fawad Alam, allrounder Faheem Ashraf and new spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, who all played key roles in Pakistan winning seven of their nine Test matches in 2021.

Underlining the turnover of players since Australia's last away campaign against Pakistan in late 2018, the home side's five leading run-getters from that series – former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, veteran batters Shafiq, Haris Sohail and Mohammad Hafeez and opener Fakhar Zaman – are all absent.

Seamer Abbas, who took a record 17 wickets in just two Tests in that series, leg-spinner Yasir, the fastest man ever to 200 Test wickets who famously scored a century against Australia in 2019, as well as off-spinner Bilal Asif, who took a six-wicket haul on Test debut against Australia in 2018, have also fallen out of favour.

Seven members of Australia's squad from that 2018 series – Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar – have returned for this campaign.

From the most recent Test meeting between the two sides, in Adelaide in 2019, Australia will be missing three players – Tim Paine, Joe Burns and Matthew Wade – while Pakistan will be missing five – Abbas, Yasir, Shafiq, Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Musa.

Pakistan's recent success has been built on their new-look bowling attack, led by the 21-year-old Afridi and right-armer Hasan, who were the most prolific fast bowlers in Test cricket last year with a combined 88 wickets at just 16.60.

Given allrounder Ashraf offers a third seam-bowling option and can bat in the top seven, the hosts could again pick a dual spin attack of left-armer Nauman, who took 19 wickets at 27 in seven Tests last year, and off-spinner Sajid, who picked up 8-42 in a Test against Bangladesh in December.

However, with both Ashraf and Hasan reportedly under an injury cloud and the opening Test in Rawalpindi expected to favour the seamers, the hosts may take a different approach.

"There is no mystery about (Nauman and Sajid), but they're very accurate," former Pakistan batter Bazid Khan, who will commentate on the series, told cricket.com.au recently.

"Nauman Ali bowls pretty flat, almost like (India's Ravindra) Jadeja, there or thereabouts. He'll test you on the front foot.

"Sajid will get the ball to spin a bit more and bowl a bit slower.

"(Yasir) has been surpassed by those two spinners … (his) form has dipped slightly. He was a threat in the UAE but once things have come back to Pakistan, it's not been the same."

Big Bash star Haris Rauf, who is yet to make his Test debut, is the only other frontline fast bowler in Pakistan's squad, although teenage speedster Naseem Shah – who made his debut in Brisbane in 2019 – is reportedly set to be drafted in due to the injury to Hasan.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for Australian fans will be the absence of Abbas, who has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests at 23.02, the third-lowest bowling average in Pakistan history.

But the right-armer has averaged 37 in the three-and-a-half years since he destroyed Australia in 2018.

"He excelled in the UAE especially, where the ball did not come onto the bat at all," Bazid said. "You were almost bound to get hit on the pads once an over.

"But he won't be as difficult in Pakistan because the ball will come onto the bat more.

"Hasan Ali had a phenomenal comeback year in Test cricket (in 2021). He'll skid the ball through and (bowl) reverse swing. Especially when the pitch gets slightly lower, he's more dangerous; naturally he gets the ball to zip off the surface but once it gets lower and seams back into the stumps, he gets a lot of LBWs and bowleds.

"Shaheen Shah Afridi, with the new ball he bowls pretty full and gets it to swing. And then in his comeback overs, he's still got pace to rattle you when bowling back of a length or even short stuff."

Also missing from the series will be opener Abid Ali, Pakistan's leading run-scorer last year, who is recovering from heart surgery after he experienced chest pain during a first-class match in December.

His absence means one of Shan Masood or Imam-ul-Haq, who opened together in the 2019 Adelaide Test, will come into the side to partner rookie opener Abdullah Shafique at the top of the order.

No.3 Azhar and No.4 Babar will then be followed by Alam, who celebrated the end of his 11-year Test exile in late 2020 with a century in New Zealand before adding hundreds in Karachi, Harare and Kingston last year.

Wicketkeeper Rizwan, who dominated with the bat in all formats in 2021, is expected to bat at No.6. The right-hander's batting average of 43.59 from 18 Tests as a gloveman places him behind only AB de Villiers, Andy Flower and Adam Gilchrist among keeper-batters to have played 15 or more Tests.

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood. Reserves: Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Haris

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports