Lahore, May 20 (IANS) Pakistan have been dealt a big blow ahead of their upcoming ODI series against Australia as their opening pair, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, have been ruled out of selection for the three-match series due to injuries.

The hosts are yet to announce the squad for the ODI leg of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, scheduled to begin on May 30. The hosts will now have to find new sets of openers for their series against Australia.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), both players are currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovery under the close supervision of the board’s medical staff.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 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 said in the statement.

“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 will be shared in due course,” it added.

The pair last featured for Pakistan during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and was more recently in action in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Fakhar is one of the most experienced players on the Pakistan side. He has played 92 ODIs and scored 3861 runs at an average of 45.42. He has also hit 11 centuries and 19 half-centuries. While Saim has played 17 ODIs and scored 751 runs. He has also taken nine wickets.

According to the schedule released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Australia’s tour will begin on May 30, with the first ODI to be played in Rawalpindi, followed by the remaining two matches on June 2 and 4 in Lahore.

Pakistan will come into the series after suffering a 2-1 defeat against Bangladesh in ODIs, followed by a 2-0 loss in the Test series.

–IANS

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