Both players are currently undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of the PCB medical team and will not be considered for selection for the series, which begins later this month.
In an official statement, the PCB said both cricketers are still recovering and have been advised to continue their rehab programmes under medical guidance, ruling them out of the squad.
“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 statement read.
The board is yet to announce Pakistan’s squad for the three-match series against Australia, leaving selectors with key decisions to make at the top of the order. In-form batter Sahibzada Farhan is among the potential replacements after an impressive run in the Pakistan Super League, where he scored 380 runs at an average of 42.22.
Former captain Babar Azam is also expected to return to the ODI setup following a strong PSL campaign, where he amassed 580 runs and led Peshawar Zalmi to the title.
Pakistan enter the series after a 2-1 ODI series defeat against Bangladesh and will face a strong Australian side, although the visitors are expected to be without several senior pacers including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as batter Travis Head. Mitchell Marsh is set to lead a largely rotated squad featuring Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis and Adam Zampa.
The three-match ODI series will begin on Saturday, May 30, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the remaining two matches scheduled in Lahore.
