Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub ruled out of Pakistan vs Australia ODI series

Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have been ruled out of Pakistan’s upcoming one-day international (ODI) series against Australia, the cricket board said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the opening batters “will not be available for selection for the upcoming three-match ODI series […] scheduled to begin on 30 May during Australia’s tour of Pakistan”.

The board further noted that both players are currently recovering from injuries and have been advised to continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel.

“Consequently, they have been ruled out of selection for the ODI series. The PCB wishes both players a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing them return to competitive cricket at the earliest opportunity.”

Further updates regarding the squad and player fitness, as mentioned in the statement, will be shared in due course.

The ODI series will begin on Saturday, May 30, with the opening match scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The second and third ODIs will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and 4, respectively. All matches will start at 4:30pm local time.

The series marks Australia’s return to Pakistan for a 50-over bilateral assignment since their 2022 tour, when the hosts secured a 2–1 series victory.

Earlier this year, Australia also toured Pakistan for a T20I series in January-February, where Pakistan completed a 3-0 clean sweep in Lahore.