Pakistan announce pace-dominated lineup for first Australia ODI

LAHORE: Pakistan on Sunday announced their lineup for the first ODI against Australia scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday (tomorrow).

The match will see Mohammad Rizwan leading the side after being made the team's white-ball captain last month following Babar Asam's resignation last month.

The Green Shirts are scheduled to play three ODIs against Australia with the second and third fixtures scheduled on November 8 (Adelaide Oval) and November 10 (Perth Stadium), respectively.

The series will be followed by a three-match T20I series from November 14 to 18.

With Salman Ali Agha being Rizwan's vice-captain, the team will be coached by Jason Gillespie, who assumed the responsibilities of the team's white-ball coach for the Australia tour following Gary Kirsten's resignation due to differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

A day earlier, expressing his views on the series against Australia, vice-captain Agha said that the players were motivated to perform well and that they had chalked out their strategy keeping Australian conditions and their strengths in mind.

"The colour of the kit may have changed but the bat and ball remain the same. We’re focusing on delivering our best with simplicity," he remarked while speaking to media persons in Melbourne. 

Playing XI

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk) Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha (vc) Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.

Australia: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi.