Australia select full-strength squad for Test tour of Pakistan

Aussies to visit south Asian country for the first time in 24 years

Australia celebrate winning the Ashes series 4-0 after beating England in the fifth Test in Hobart on Sunday, January 16, 2022. PA

Australia captain Pat Cummins with the Ashes urn. Getty

Australia players celebrate their 146-run victory over England. Getty

Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates after the match in Hobart. Getty

Australia bowler Cameron Green celebrates after bowling Dawid Malan of England for 10. Getty

England captain Joe Root is bowled out by Australia's Scott Boland for 11. Getty

Australia's Scott Boland celebrates bowling Joe Root. AP

England opener Rory Burns is bowled by Cameron Green of Australia for 26. Getty

Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates taking the wicket of Ollie Pope for five. Getty

Australia's Scott Boland, right, celebrates with Pat Cummins after dismissing England batsman Sam Billings. AFP

England batsman Ollie Pope is clean bowled by Australia's Pat Cummins for five. PA

England's Zak Crawley is struck by a delivery from Australia bowler Pat Cummins. AP

Australia's Nathan Lyon takes a catch to dismiss England batsman Ben Stokes for five. AFP

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Australia btasman Steve Smith after losing his wicket for 27. EPA

England bowler Mark Wood too career-best 6-37 in Australia's second innings. AFP

Australia batsman Alex Carey after bowled by England's Chris Woakes only to be reprieved when a no-ball is called. AP

England bowler Mark Wood celebrates dismissing Australia's Mitchell Starc for one. AFP

Australia's Alex Carey top scored for Australia in their second innings with 49. PA

England bowler Stuart Broad celebrates taking Australia's Cameron Green's wicket for 23. AP

Australia named a full-strength squad for next month's three-Test tour of Pakistan.

The Aussies will tour Pakistan for the first time in 24 years and the series will be the Test side's first overseas visit since the 2019 Ashes.

In the first squad announcement since the resignation of Justin Langer as coach, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood returned from injury while Scott Boland, one of the stand-out performers during Australia's 4-0 Ashes series win over England earlier in the season, retained his place.

There were concerns that a number of senior players would not be a part of the Pat Cummins-captained squad due to security issues after New Zealand and England withdrew from their tours of the south Asian nation late last year. However, those fears have been allayed.

"This squad covers for all scenarios including the conditions given it has been such a long time since Australia was last in Pakistan," said selector George Bailey.

"With several sub-continent tours and a one-day World Cup in India on the near horizon, this is a great first-up challenge for the group after the successful home Ashes series.

"It's also a very historic tour given the length of time since an Australian side last toured Pakistan."

The first Test starts in Rawalpindi on March 4, with the second scheduled for Karachi on March 12. Lahore will host the final Test from March 21.

The two teams will also play three ODIs and one Twenty20 match.

Meanwhile, selection panel chief Bailey denied Langer's claims that a lack of backing from senior players and support staff was responsible for the former opening batsman's departure as Australia coach.

Langer quit the post on Saturday despite leading Australia to victory at the Twenty20 World Cup before handing England a 4-0 defeat in the Ashes when he was only offered a six-month contract extension until October's Twenty20 World Cup.

"I feel for him," Bailey said on Tuesday. "Absolutely no one deserves to have the saga that has been played out as publicly as it has been.

"Clearly he didn't get the length of contract extension offer that he was after so it hasn't been ideal, but I don't subscribe to the fact that it was individuals that were key to making the decision."

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, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.