Rawalpindi
\nInjuries, positive Covid-19 cases and inclement weather have taken the lead on the eve of the historic first Test between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
\nThere\u2019s at least one positive Covid-19 case in both the camps, with Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf ruled out of the first Test. Australia\u2019s spin bowling consultant Fawad Ahmed also tested positive on Wednesday and will remain in isolation for the next five days.
\nPakistan Test regulars \u2014 fast bowler Hasan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf \u2014 were ruled out due to injuries they picked up during last week\u2019s Pakistan Super League (PSL) with fast-bowler Naseem Shah and all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed coming into the side.
\nThe rain in Rawalpindi today kept both teams in their hotels and more rain is forecast for the last three days of the Test match.
\nIt\u2019s the first time Australia have played a Test match in Pakistan since 1998 due to concerns over security from several terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
\nAustralia, which arrived in Pakistan on Sunday, have had just two training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
\nVisiting captain Pat Cummins said he knows who his playing XI will be.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got a fair idea what we want to do, but just don\u2019t want to make the call too early without fully knowing what the wicket is,\u201d Cummins said during a virtual media conference on Thursday. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019ll be a super quick wicket \u2026 probably two spinners or three quicks.\u201d
\nCummins, who led Australia to a 4-0 win in the home Ashes series against England, didn\u2019t reveal whether leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson will make his debut or will partner Ashton Agar if Australia opts to go with two spinners.
\n\u201cI\u2019d probably prefer to keep it quiet,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that they\u2019re both great options. Swepy, you know, leg spinner, it\u2019s just a real luxury to have. He\u2019s been bowling fantastically. He\u2019s ready to go \u2026 [Ashton Agar] has been fantastic whenever he\u2019s played for Australia.\u201d
\nCummins didn\u2019t think that Pakistan will be weakened by the injuries to Ali and Ashraf.
\n\u201c[In] international cricket, you\u2019ve got to have a squad of players,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m sure that would be a big loss \u2026 but there\u2019s always another guy that can step up.\u201d
\nPakistan captain Babar Azam had a nightmare period in the PSL when he led Karachi Kings to just one win in 10 league games to finish last in the six-team Twenty20 competition.
\nBut Azam believes Pakistan will carry the momentum of its last Test series in Bangladesh which Pakistan won 2-0 with Test specialists Fawad Alam and Azhar Ali along with spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan having good preparations in the training camp at Karachi.
\n\u201cAs a captain, I am confident that I will have the best playing XI to give a tough fight to Australia in this historic home series,\u201d Azam said. \u201cUnfortunately, it rained today, but we will see the wicket before finalising the final squad.\u201d
\nAzam said it was a setback to miss Ali and Ashraf and it has affected the team\u2019s preparations.
\n\u201cFaheem has contributed with the bat and ball while Hasan has been performing for us consistently in test matches,\u201d Babar said. \u201cBut we do have batters like Azhar, Fawad and Rizwan, and I am quite confident that against the best side in the world we will do well.\u201d
\nBoth the cricket boards have agreed to name the trophy the Benaud-Qadir Trophy, after two legendary leg-spinners Richie Benaud of Australia and Pakistan\u2019s Abdul Qadir.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rawalpindi Injuries, positive Covid-19 cases and inclement weather have taken the lead on the eve of the historic first Test between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi on Thursday. There\u2019s at least one positive Covid-19 case in both the camps, with Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf ruled out of the first Test. Australia\u2019s spin bowling consultant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":247528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[423,20,4637],"class_list":{"0":"post-247502","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-pakistan","10":"tag-test-series"},"yoast_head":"\n