LAHORE: Pakistan will be without openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub for the three-match ODI series against Australia, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement, the PCB said both players are recovering from injuries and will not be available for selection. They have been told to continue their rehab under the PCB medical panel. “The PCB wishes both players a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing them return to competitive cricket at the earliest opportunity,” the board said.
No details were given about the type of injuries or how long both players will be out. The PCB said more updates on the squad and player fitness will be shared later. This is Australia’s first 50-over bilateral series in Pakistan since 2022. On that tour, Pakistan won the ODI series 2–1 at home.
Earlier this year, Australia played a T20I series in Pakistan during January-February. Pakistan won that series 3-0 in Lahore. With both Fakhar and Saim out, Pakistan will need to find a new opening pair for the series raising the chances of Babar Azam return to the fold. The team management is expected to announce the full squad soon.
