MELBOURNE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the playing XI for the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia, scheduled to be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here today.

“The men’s national selection committee has confirmed Pakistan’s playing XI for the first ODI against Australia,” the PCB posted on their official social media accounts. Notably, Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan will kick off his tenure with the first ODI against Australia after replacing Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role last month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player. Pakistan have opted to go with an all-pace strategy considering the conditions in Melbourne as they named Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Muhammad Hasnain in their playing XI. Meanwhile, opening batter Saim Ayub and middle-order batter Irfan Khan will make their ODI debuts.

Abdullah Shafique will open the innings alongside, Saim, while Babar, Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and Irfan will form the rest of the batting order. Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.