Australia against Pakistan: Pakistan is expected to field a “unrecoveried” Abrar Ahmed in the Sydney Test as a specialist spinner.

As of right now, Abrar Ahmed is expected to play for Pakistan in the third and final Test, which is set to begin on January 3 at the venerable Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Ahmed’s availability will be contingent upon how his right leg feels following Monday’s workout. Remarkably, the leg-break bowler experienced problems with his right leg following what seemed to be a pulled muscle during the tour match in Canberra, forcing him to miss the first two matches.

Pakistan will welcome the inclusion of a specialist spinner to strengthen their bowling assault, especially after falling behind 0-2 in the three-match series.

Having him in the starting lineup will only benefit the club because of the SCG’s spin-friendly surface. That, however, is entirely dependent on the player, who was born in Karachi, making a full recovery. Should that fail, spin all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz may play in the series for the first time for Pakistan.

Regarding Ahmed’s condition, PCB had previously stated that his “symptoms have significantly improved”. It was also noted that he was not “100% asymptomatic,” which may indicate that the bowler has not fully healed despite being match-fit.

The 25-year-old underwent injections since the visiting team is eager to have the leggie play in the New Year’s Test, according to ESPNcricinfo. Given Ahmed’s lengthy medical history, it is quite difficult to speculate on his current level of engagement. The decision to go with an all-pace core by captain Shan Masood was unfortunate even if it was expected to yield great results.

Anthony Albanese greets PM Masood and Pat Cummins at Kirribilli House.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended an invitation to the team captains to celebrate the New Year at Kirribilli House, one of his official residences. The Pakistani captain posted information about the meeting on social media. In the meantime, Glenn McGrath also took photographs with the squad before the Pink Test; they may be seen in Masood’s article.

“A day to remember at Kirribilli House, hosted by PM @AlboMP and @scg for the #pinktest, to kick off 2024 in Sydney.” X “HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ,” he said as a caption.

Starting off 2024 in Sydney, a day to remember at Kirribilli House hosted by PM @AlboMP and @scg for the #pinktest. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE pic.twitter.com/qJcyDrsFCw

— Shan Masood (@shani_official) January 1, 2024