Australia opt for pace, lose the toss in Rawalpindi Test

Australia's Qantas Tour of Pakistan is being broadcast in Australia on Foxtel and live streamed on Kayo Sports. Radio coverage is available on SEN

Session times: 4pm - 6.30pm | 7.30pm - 9pm | 9.20pm - 11.20pm (All times AEDT. Times adjusted on Day 1 to accommodate Friday prayers)

Josh Hazlewood has won back his place in Australia's XI for their first Test in Pakistan in 24 years as the tourists opted for a three-pronged pace attack at the Rawalpindi Stadium.

Much has been made of the conditions Australia will face on their historic tour, but Pakistan captain Babar Azam had no hesitation in electing to bat first after winning the toss.

Ashes hero Scott Boland is the unlucky seamer to miss out after claiming 18 wickets at 9.55 from three matches against England, with Hazlewood to partner captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and allrounder Cameron Green in a five-man bowling attack.

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Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

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Australia will wear black armbands today as a tribute to legendary wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who passed away this morning in Adelaide aged 74 after suffering a heart attack in Queensland last week.

The match will be Hazlewood's first Test since injuring his side in the opening match of the Ashes campaign at the Gabba, although the 31-year-old quick played three of Australia's five T20I against Sri Lanka last month, collecting eight wickets at 8.13.

Cummins will lean on Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head to provide an extra spin-bowling option alongside Lyon, with selectors choosing not to hand Mitch Swepson a long-awaited debut or include Ashton Agar for his first Test appearance since the Bangladesh tour in 2017.

Usman Khawaja has retained his place at the top of the order with David Warner after his twin hundreds in the fourth Ashes Test at the SCG.

Pakistan, meanwhile, elected for twin spin on the Rawalpindi surface with left-arm orthodox Nauman Ali to partner off-spinner Sajid Khan.

Allrounder Iftikhar Ahmed will provide spin support with his right-arm off-breaks while young pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi will be partnered by 19-year-old Naseem Shah.

Naseem played the first of his nine Tests as a 16-year-old against Australia in Brisbane in November 2019 and famously took a hat-trick against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Stadium two years ago.

Naseem was added to the hosts' squad after they suffered several injury and COVD-19 setbacks this week.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali and allrounder Faheem Ashraf were ruled out of the series opener due to injuries suffered during the Pakistan Super League, while uncapped seamer Haris Rauf will also sit out having tested positive for COVID-19.

Opener Abid Ali, Pakistan's leading Test run-scorer in 2021, is also out of action after having heart surgery in December.

"It looks like a nice (wicket) so we are trying to put runs on the board and put pressure on them," Babar said after winning the toss.

"Maybe third or fourth day, maybe it will help the spinners so we have two quicks and three spinners."

The last time Australia played Test cricket in Pakistan was in 1998 when Mark Taylor led the tourists to a 1-0 series victory.

Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports