Haris Rauf was in contention for making his Test debut in Rawalpindi after Hasan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf were ruled out of the first Test against Australia due to injury concerns.
Pakistan suffered a Covid blow as fast bowler Haris Rauf tests positive ahead of the Australia Test (AFP photo)
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- Haris Rauf in isolation after testing Covid-19 positive
- Ruaaf was in the race to make his Test debut for Pakistan
- Pakistan will take on Australia in the first match of the 3-Test series in Rawalpindi
Ahead of their historic Test series against Australia, Pakistan suffered a major setback on Tuesday as pacer Haris Rauf tested positive for Covid-19. The Pakistan Cricket Board said Rauf is in isolation on Tuesday while the rest of the team resumed training in Rawalpindi, which will host the first of three Tests from Friday, March 4.
Rauf was struggling to make his debut in his hometown Rawalpindi after fast bowler Hasan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf were ruled out of the first Test due to injuries in the Pakistan Super League last week.
In his absence, Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah, one of the reserve pacers, were in contention to face Australia along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.
Pakistan and Australia begin training at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in what promises to be a tough match. This is Australia’s first Test series in Pakistan since 1998 and is being played under tight security.
The second Test will be held in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25.