Australia batter Usman Khawaja heaped praise on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam by calling him "one of the best batsmen" ahead of the first Test clash between the two cricketing giants.
Abdullah said they are claiming that terrorism is over but the ground situation shows that it has increased in otherwise peaceful Jammu region.
Labuschagne is expected to bat at number three, with Smith to return to his favoured number four slot.
Having recovered from a hamstring strain, Usman Khawaja celebrated his recall with a glittering 144, with Queensland team mate Joe Burns making 128 in front of a festive Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd to drive Australia to 345-3 at stumps.
In-form batsman Usman Khawaja has been selected to play his first one-day international in three years when Australia meet New Zealand in the second match of their series in Wellington on Saturday.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja on Thursday hinted he could bat in the middle order in the upcoming four-Test series against India, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
Usman Khawaja hit a mammoth 171 and Shaun Marsh approached his sixth Test century as Australia eased 133 runs ahead of England on 479 for four after the third day of the fifth Ashes Test on Saturday.
'You hear things like 'the players are playing afraid' or whatnot, but that's what happens when you drop players all the time. We've been doing that a fair bit lately'
In-form Australia batsman Usman Khawaja expects to be squeezed out of the top order in favour of former captain Aaron Finch when they kick off their World Twenty20 campaign against New Zealand next week.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja could find himself opening against South Africa's formidable pace attack in the first Test in Perth on November 3, just months after being dropped during a poor tour of Sri Lanka.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has mounted a spirited defence of David Warner.
Usman Khawaja struck his second century in three matches as Australia thumped India by 35 runs in their final one-dayer to seal a come-from-behind 3-2 series victory at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, on Wednesday.
New opener Steve Smith, thrust into the role after David Warner's retirement, fell to Roach for six in the first over of Australia's innings when a seaming delivery was adjudged lbw on review.
Australian middle-order batsman, Usman Khawaja received an Ashes berth, and, opener Phillip Hughes was also lucky to retain his spot in the squad, after a poor performance in India.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Experienced opener David Warner named Marcus Harris to replace him as Australia's opener in red-ball cricket.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja is likely to replace injured Kevin Pietersen in the squad of Rising Pune Supergiants in season 9 of Indian Premier League. Pietersen was ruled out of the IPL on Sunday, leaving the subcontinent with a hole in his calf muscle and in Pune's batting order. If picked, this will be Khawaja's maiden IPL stint. The left-handed top-order batsman had gone unsold at IPL auctions in February despite scoring heavily in Australia's domestic circuit. Pune have not named a replacement for KP, but Khawaja is the one of the frontrunners, according to Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming. "He (Khawaja) is a guy we are surely looking at," Fleming said after the two-wicket loss to Kolkata on Sunday.
Top order batsman Usman Khawaja has suffered a setback in his bid to return to the Australia team for the second Test against West Indies after being ruled out of a domestic Twenty20 match by his Sydney Thunder side on Monday.
Usman Khawaja hit Australia's first century of the series and Peter Handscomb scored a half-century on debut as the hosts reached 307 for six with a lead of 48 at end of the second day of the day-night third Test against South Africa in Adelaide.
Usman Khawaja proved his fitness with an unbeaten century in the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League at the weekend to secure his place in the Australia team for the second Test against West Indies.
Both Wade and Marsh were part of the Australia A squad who begin their four-day clash with Sussex in Arundel on Sunday.
A century stand from Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja propelled Australia to a nine-wicket victory over Ireland in their one-off One-Day International played at Willowmoore Park on Tuesday. Ireland won the toss and elected to bat but were bowled out for 198, a target that never looked enough against the Australians, who posted 199 for one for the loss of opener David Warner (48), with almost 20 overs to spare.
The left-hander underwent scans on his jaw after being struck by an Andre Russell bouncer in the second over of Australia's innings
Usman Khawaja hit an impressive century ahead of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, as Australia took the upper hand in their warm-up match against Sri Lanka Board XI's in Colombo on Friday. The Pakistan-born batsman scored 101 before retiring, as the tourists amassed 311-5 in their first innings in reply to a the Sri Lanka Board XI's 258 at stumps on the penultimate day of the three-day game.
Usman Khawaja found his scoring touch and fast bowler Mitchell Starc returned to his fiery best as Australia moved within sight of victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval on Sunday.
All-rounder Cameron Green thwarted New Zealand with a sparkling, unbeaten century after the hosts' seamers threatened to dominate the opening day of the first Test against Australia in Wellington on Thursday.
Usman Khawaja will have an opportunity to audition for Ricky Ponting's spot in the Test team after the left-hander was named captain of the Australia Chairman's XI to take on Sri Lanka in Canberra next week.
Australia batsman Shaun Marsh has been ruled out of the remainder of the Sri Lanka tour with a broken little finger. Confirming the news, Australia physiotherapist David Beakley said that Marsh suffered an injury to his left little finger while fielding, adding that the batsman would now return to Perth to recover fully from his injury, Sport24 reported.
Images from Day 2 of the 5th and final opening Test between Australia and England at the SCG in Sydney on Friday
'I got pulled out of that series to prepare for India and then not playing was a bit hard'
Usman Khawaja is doubtful for the day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide later this month after the Australian top order batsman re-injured his left hamstring while fielding at the WACA on Saturday.
Test cricket has not always been kind to the left-hander, who has been dropped and recalled from the team several times with questions raised over his ability to play spin and his work ethic.
Following the retirements of Chris Rogers, captain Michael Clarke and all-rounder Shane Watson, Smith will lead a team in transition into the three-match series which wraps up with cricket's first day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Lyon celebrates 500 wickets as Australia thrash Pakistan by 360 runs
Batsmen Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and Joe Burns have been rewarded for their strong form over the past 12 months by being awarded central contracts by Cricket Australia on Friday.
Usman Khawaja scored 75 runs to lead an Australia fightback on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park, but succumbed just before close of play after seeing the tourists cancel out a first innings deficit.
'It's going to have take something pretty serious to have me miss a game.'
Usman Khawaja said it was "really frustrating" for players to lose their match fees despite delivering entertaining matches.
Pakistan-born Australian batsman Usman Khawaja on Tuesday claimed that his visa for travelling to India to participate in next month's Champions League T20 was held up because of his country of birth.
Openers Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns struck sedate half centuries as Australia 'A' cantered to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa 'A' in the first tri-series cricket match in Chennai.
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