opener saim ayub

ICC World Test Championship: Opener Saim Ayub and fast-bowler Khurram Shahzad have earned maiden call-ups to Pakistan's Test squad for their upcoming tour of Australia. Pakistan will be led by a new captain, Shan Masood and will play three Tests against Australia in Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7, 2024).

Ayub, 22, has eight T20I appearances for Pakistan and scored 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites and had three centuries to his name, including a match-winning double-century against Faisalabad in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam tournament. He continued his form in the Pakistan Cup, where he was named the best batter of the tournament, ending as the competition’s highest run-getter.

Shahzad, 23, was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 36 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.31. He also picked up 13 wickets at an average of 16.62 in the recently concluded Pakistan Cup. Pace bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who last appeared in Tests for Pakistan during a series against England last year, returns to the squad.