No changes in Australian cricket squad for second Test

Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday named an unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting on Boxing Day (December 26).

The National Selection Panel (NSP) decided not to make any changes to the squad that overcame Pakistan by 39 runs in the first Test at Brisbane's Gabba Ground earlier in the day. The squad had also got the better of South Africa in the final Test.

"These players have performed extremely well in earning back-to-back Test victories against South Africa and Pakistan and deserve the opportunity to stay together as a group to continue their development," Interim national selector Trevor Hohns said in a CA release.

"We have the option to add to the squad depending on how the bowling unit pulls up after getting through a lot of overs in Brisbane and if we opt to go down that path then that is a decision we will make over the coming days.

Hohns also said that opening batsman Shaun Marsh is yet to recover from the finger injury that sidelined him following the Perth Test match against South Africa in the first week of November.

"He will be assessed by a specialist this week and will hopefully be given the all-clear to return to unrestricted training, at which point we will be able to consider him again for selection," he said.

The squad: Steve Smith (Captain), David Warner (Vice-Captain), Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Matt Renshaw, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade.

--IANS

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