Pak 'confident' Yasir will be fit for Gabba Test

Pakistan have brushed aside all fears surrounding the fitness of Yasir Shah and expressed confidence that the leg-spinner will be fully fit for the opening Test against Australia beginning December 15 at the Gabba.

Yasir is currently recovering from a back injury which he sustained during a team practice session in Cairns ahead of the three-day tour match against Cricket Australia XI. He then went on to miss the warm-up game, which Pakistan XI won by massive 201 runs.

Asserting that Yasir is improving really well, opening batsman Azhar Ali insisted that his side is quite positive that the former would be fit and play a crucial role in the first Test.

"He's improving really well and we're really confident he will be fit for the first Test," cricket.com.au quoted Azhar, who top scored with an unbeaten 82 in the pink ball game in North Queensland, as saying.

Yasir, who is Pakistan's best bowler in the world's rankings and the world's leading leg-spinner, had earlier missed his side's last Test against New Zealand at Hamilton after the 30-year-old went wicket-less for the first time in his 20-match career in the first match in Hagley Oval.

While the visitors are confident that Yasir will soon be fit to play the first Test in Brisbane, 17-year-old left-armer Mohammad Asghar has been brought into the squad against Australia as his cover.