Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub ruled out of Pakistan’s ODI series against Australia

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that its opening batsmen Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub will not be participating in the upcoming one-day international series that Pakistan will play against Australia. The series will consist of three matches.

According to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the opening batters “will not be available for selection for the upcoming three-match one-day international series […] scheduled to begin on 30 May during Australia’s tour of Pakistan.” Pakistan is currently hosting Australia.

In addition, the board stated that both players are currently recuperating under the guidance of the PCB medical panel and have been instructed to proceed with their rehabilitation regimens.

“As a result, they have been eliminated from consideration for selection for the one-day international series,” the PCB said in a statement. The PCB also wished both players a speedy recovery and expressed hope that they would return to competitive cricket as soon as possible.

The announcement also stated that additional updates regarding adjustments to the roster and player fitness will be published at the appropriate time.

The first one-day international series will get underway at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on May 30. All of the matches are set to begin at 4:30 p.m. local time, and the second and third one-day internationals will be contested at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and June 4, respectively.

This is the first time that Australia has traveled to Pakistan for a bilateral 50-over series since their tour in 2022, when Pakistan defeated them by a score of 2–1. Earlier in the year, Australia also traveled to Pakistan for a Twenty20 International series. In Lahore, the hosts won the series with a score of 3–0, completing a clean sweep.