UPHEAVAL at the Pakistan Cricket Board instigated by the country’s new Prime Minister, cricket legend Imran Khan, won’t impact plans for a two-Test series against Australia in October.

Khan, whose party won power in a national election last month, appointed former ICC president Ehsan Mani as the new PCB chairman after Najam Sethi, who has a history of clashes with Khan, resigned.

Cricket Australia is well ahead in planning for the matches, which will be played in the UAE, despite no official confirmation of dates or venues for the games, Australia’s first Tests since the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Tickets are not yet available either but CA are confident the matches will go ahead as planned with announcements expected in the immediate future.

New coach Justin Langer will take a new-look team to the UAE for the series with replacements for banned trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft to be announced.

Members of the Australia A team currently in India are behind the eight-ball in their attempt to push selection claims after the opening three games, all one-day matches, were abandoned because of wet weather.

The touring squad, which includes Test incumbents Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb, were forced to move to Bengaluru for the remaining games, which includes two four-day matches against India A.

Runs are crucial for all batsmen, none more so than Khawaja who has a poor record on the subcontinent and against spin. In the most recent Test series in the UAE, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2017, spinners took 48 wickets in two matches.

Handscomb, despite moderate returns in his most recent Tests, is understood to have lots of support from selectors, because of his ability to play slow bowling.

Former Test opener Simon Katich on Tuesday suggested Khawaja, the incumbent number three, could open the batting against Pakistan in partnership with Matt Renshaw, opening up spots in the middle order.

“I think they need some seniority at the top of the order and given he (Khawaja) has batted at three it might actually suit him to get out there and get into it straight away,” Katich said on SEN.

“He is an opener from way back when he first started playing club cricket.”

Bowling spots are also up for grabs after recent confirmation that speedsters Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood would not play against Pakistan as they continue their recovery from injury.