Pakistan batters Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik are suffering from "mild flu" and they could be doubtful starters for the T20 World Cup semifinal against Australia.
Pakistan seems primed to win their second title but it will take a special effort to upstage a tenacious Australia, which is peaking at the right time, in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup.
Australia will need to handle Shaheen Shah Afridi's inswinging deliveries in the Powerplay overs well when they face Pakistan in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup, captain Aaron Finch.
Babar Azam has led the Pakistan team well in the ongoing T20 World Cup and doesn't need to do anything differently in the semi-final against Australia on Thursday, PCB chairman and former skipper Ramiz Raja said on the eve of the game.
Australia, who last toured Pakistan in 1998, will play three Tests in Karachi (March 3-7), Rawalpindi (March 12-16) and Lahore (March 21-25) as part of the World Test Championship.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan said that under the new Future Tours Program, whenever Pakistan and Australia play a bilateral series it will include three Tests.
Senior players Shoaib Malik, Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad also did not figure in the T20 squad for the important tour.
Australia are scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20I games in Pakistan from late February 2022.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday that team manager, Talat Ali had held a hearing at which Umar pleaded guilty and also apologised for his actions.
The selection committee and team management including head coach, Mickey Arthur is under fire after the disastrous five-match series against Australia, but Mani said the time was not right for making any changes.
Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell smashed fifties as Australia beat Pakistan by 20 runs in the final ODI.
Abid Ali hit 112 off 119 balls and Mohammad Rizwan smashed 104 off 102 deliveries before Australia came back to restrict Pakistan to 271-8 in their chase of 278 and pick up their fourth straight win in the five-match series.
The 25-year-old bowler joins Jhye Richardson in returning home early as the latter injured his shoulder in Sharjah.
The national selectors and team management have come in for criticism for resting six key players from the ongoing series against Australia.
Aaron Finch missed out on an opportunity to become the first Australian to hit three consecutive ODI hundreds but his 90 off 136 balls anchored the world champions to 266-6.
Finch was happy his team continued its fine ODI form from India, where it won the series 3-2 earlier this month.
Australia captain Aaron Finch said that he is ready to bat at whatever number the team needs him in the upcoming 2019 World Cup.
Afridi was also critical of the decision to rest Sarfaraz and other key players for the 'home' series, slated to be held in the UAE.
Pakistan have also opted to rest Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Zaman, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the series against Australia.
The one-year bans handed to Steven Smith and David Warner will end on March 29 and they will be eligible to play at least one ODI against Pakistan in Austrlia's five-match series.
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