COVID rules Rauf out of Pakistan-Australia

Pakistan have suffered another setback with fast bowler Haris Rauf ruled out of the first Test against Australia having tested positive for COVID-19.

Rauf was in contention to make his Test debut in his Rawalpindi hometown with fast bowler Hasan Ali and allrounder Faheem Ashraf injured in the Pakistan Super League last week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said on Tuesday Rauf will isolate for five days, pending a negative test. The rest of the squad tested negative.

Rauf is well-known to the tourists having played BBL for Melbourne Stars.

Fast bowler Naseem Shah, who was originally a travelling reserve, has been included in the squad in place of Rauf for the first Test, which starts on Friday.

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