Noman was diagnosed with acute appendicitis after complaining of "sudden and severe" abdominal pain, according to a statement put out by the PCB. Scans confirmed the diagnosis, and he spent Friday night in hospital. He underwent laparoscopic appendectomy in the morning, a surgery deemed to be successful. The PCB said he was stable and doing well, and expected to be discharged in the afternoon.

It is almost certain Nawaz will meet a similar fate in Melbourne. He was sent for less than 72 hours before the second Test starts on Boxing Day, so he only become a factor for Pakistan for the third Test in Sydney starting January 3.

Pakistan also formally ruled Abrar out of the second Test, saying that while his "symptoms had significantly improved", he wasn't yet ready for the rigours of Test cricket. They have officially maintained hope he could be a factor for the third Test, though ESPNcricinfo understands it is exceedingly unlikely.

As such, Pakistan lined up in the first Test without a specialist spinner, with Agha Salman taking up offspin duties. While the PCB made no suggestion Noman was unfit at the time, Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez said after the Test ended in defeat that he had a finger injury that prevented him from fielding and batting, and thus could not play.

Those absences were partly why Pakistan went in with two fast bowling debutants in Aamer Jamal and Shahzad. They have also Mir Hamza, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jnr among their ranks.

The second Test begins on December 26 at the MCG.