Pakistan's star openers ruled out of ODI series against Australia

Pakistan have suffered a telling blow ahead of their three-match ODI series against Australia at home as openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman have been sidelined due to injuries.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a press release to inform that both players will be unavailable for selection for the bilateral contest set to begin on May 30. While the PCB didn't mention the nature of their injuries, it said that both Ayub and Zaman have been "advised to continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel."

Both players were a part of the recently concluded 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). While Zaman played for Lahore Qalandars (LQ), Ayub represented Hyderabad Kingsmen (HHK).

The 36-year-old finished as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament after Kusal Mendis (550) and Babar Azam (588). Fakhar aggregated 401 runs in eight innings at an astounding average of 57.28 and a strike rate of 151.89. The left-handed batter also struck a hundred and four fifties. The Qalandars batter also smashed 48 boundaries and 12 maximums during the entire spectacle. 65.83% of his total runs came from boundaries.

Meanwhile, Ayub was the most expensive Pakistani player in PSL 11. He was signed by Hyderabad Kingsmen for PKR 12.6 crore (approximately $450,000 USD). However, he couldn't justify his paycheck as he only managed 258 runs across 13 innings at an average of 21.50. His runs came at a strike rate of 119.44, including a fifty.

Australia's ODI tour of Pakistan 2026