Tag: Australia vs Pakistan

Pakistan’s newly appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan refrained from giving his verdict on the snub of Fakhar Zaman from the white-ball squads and men’s central contracts.

Rizwan addressed the media at a local hotel in Karachi, ahead of the national team’s departure to Australia where they will play a three-match ODI and T20I series.

When asked to share his stance on the Fakhar Zaman issue, Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged the left-handed batter as an impactful player but insisted that the selection committee and management are capable of making a decision in this regard.

“There is no doubt that Fakhar Zaman is an impactful player of Pakistan’s white-ball team. Because he is capable of winning matches for the team single-handedly,” said Rizwan.

“Even in high-stakes matches, Fakhar has single-handedly put us in dominant position.

“But as far as the decision is concerned, some decisions are out of our hands. The selection committee and the management are the ones to make a decision.

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Mohammad Rizwan then went on to reveal that discussions are underway between Fakhar Zaman and management before expressing his hope that the issue would be resolved soon.

“They definitely had discussions and I hope this issue gets resolved soon,” stated Rizwan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

However, Fakhar’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

It is worth mentioning here that the left-handed batter questioned the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to exclude Babar Azam from the squad for the last two Tests of the recently concluded England series.

READ: “Selection committee to decide Fakhar Zaman’s future,” Mohsin Naqvi

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday, held a meeting with newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and his deputy Salman Ali Agha ahead of the national team’s tour to Australia.

In a meeting that was also attended by PCB COO Salman Naseer, Naqvi wished the captain and vice-captain good luck for the crucial white-ball series against Australia.

He expressed his confidence in the players to showcase their talent on the stiff tour before emphasizing team unity key to success.

“Leading the white-ball team is an honour,” Naqvi said.

“The nation expects a remarkable performance from the team during the Australia and Zimbabwe series. Our players are talented and professional, and I am confident they will showcase their best talent.

“Playing as a united team and fighting till the last ball are keys to success. If the team performs as one unit, no one can defeat you.”

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In response, white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and deputy Salman Ali Agha expressed gratitude towards Mohsin Naqvi for entrusting them with the leadership of the national white-ball side.

The duo also vowed to make every effort to meet nation’s expectations and flair well on tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

“We are determined to perform well during the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe,” Rizwan said.

“We will make every effort to meet the nation’s expectations,” he added.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.

READ: Matthew Wade retires from international cricket

Australia’s wicketkeeper batter Matthew Wade on Tuesday, retired from international cricket, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career, that spanned around 13 years.

Wade, who made his T20I debut in October 2021 against South Africa, went on to represent Australia in 36 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 92 T20Is.

He was also a part of the Australia squad that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and played a pivotal role in leading his side to their maiden T20 World Cup title, with his match-winning 41-run knock against Pakistan in the semi-final.

“I’m officially retiring,” Cricket Australia (CA) quoted Matthew Wade saying.

“It’s been an ongoing discussion for pretty much every tour or every World Cup that I’ve been on in the last three or four years.”

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Matthew Wade went on to reveal had he scored some runs in this year’s T20 World Cup and helped Australia advance further, things would be different and he would have kept on with his professional career.

“If we went into the last World Cup and I managed to get some runs and we won that, then things would look maybe a little different and maybe I’d keep going,” he said.

“It was just kind of an understanding from all of us.”

The left-handed batter is now set to pursue a career in coaching, set to kick off when he steps in as a coach for Australia’s white-ball series against Pakistan, scheduled to run from November 4 to 18.

“My international retirement and coaching has been a constant conversation with George [Bailey] and Andrew [McDonald] over the past six months. Coaching has been on my radar over the last few years, and thankfully some great opportunities have come my way, for which I am very grateful and excited,” stated Matthew Wade.

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MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday, announced a 14-member squad for the three-match home ODI series against Pakistan.

The reigning world champions will be without Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh as both key players will be on paternity leave.

The duo has been replaced by Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short, who are likely to open the innings together.

Furthermore, all-rounder Cameron Green has been sidelined from Australia’s 14-member squad for the ODI series against Pakistan as he is set to undergo a back injury.

However, Pat Cummins, who was absent from Australia’s recent white-ball tours to England and Scotland, has returned to the side and will captain the world champions for the first time since leading them to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 glory.

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Furthermore, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has also been recalled to the squad after being left out of the away series against England. Rising youngsters Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie have also been named in the squad.

Australia’s chief selector George Bailey termed the upcoming series “crucial” for the preparation of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in February-March next year.

“This is our last ODI series before the Champions Trophy, and the balance of the squad was focused on that, as well as preparing individuals for the upcoming Test summer,” said Bailey.

The highly-anticipated series between Pakistan and Australia will get underway on November 4 with the first ODI scheduled to be played in Melbourne. The remaining two ODIs will be played on November 8 and 10 in Adelaide and Perth.

Australia Squad for ODI series against Pakistan: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

READ: England’s Playing XI for second Test against Pakistan announced

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced plans to set up dedicated Pakistan fan zones for the upcoming white-ball series scheduled in November.

The five venues in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Adelaide will feature fan zones designated for Pakistani fans.

This exciting initiative aligns with CA’s Multicultural Action Plan, aiming to foster inclusivity and provide brilliant experiences for cricket fans from diverse backgrounds.

CA will set up designated seating areas for Pakistan fans, where they can comfortably watch the high-intensity action while enjoying halal food, and desi cuisines. Pakistan fan zones will also have designated prayer areas for fans.

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The details of ticket sales for the fan zones will be announced soon, encouraging Pakistani fans to seize the chance to enjoy the high-action series in a vibrant atmosphere.

For the unversed, CA has recently announced a similar initiative to create fan zones for the Indian audience at all venues during the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series later this year.

Pakistan and Australia will play a three-match ODI series, starting on November 4 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), followed by three T20Is from November 14.

Pakistan last played a T20I in Australia in 2022 during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Series schedule:

4 November: 1st ODI, MCG, Melbourne (D/N)

8 November: 2nd ODI, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)

10 November: 3rd ODI, Perth Stadium, Perth (D/N)

14 November: 1st T20I, The Gabba, Brisbane (N)

16 November: 2nd T20I, SCG, Sydney (N)

18 November: 3rd T20I, Bellerive Oval, Hobart (N)

READ: Pakistan to skip warm-up matches for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia (CA) on Sunday announced their 13-member squad for the third Test against Pakistan, which is scheduled to commence on January 3, 2024 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Australia have made no changes to their squad from the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, which they won and sealed the series 2-0.

The enthralling Boxing Day Test between Pakistan and Australia concluded on the fourth day when Pakistan, in pursuit of 317, bundled out on 237 in the second innings.

The touring side was at one stage in a comfortable position to seal a historic victory when they required a further 100 runs with five wickets in hand.

However, Mohammad Rizwan’s debated dismissal off Pat Cummins opened the floodgates for Pakistan and they collapsed from 219/5 to 237 all out.

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Notably, the Sydney Test will witness the final appearance of David Warner in Test cricket, as confirmed by Australian chief selector George Bailey.

“We look forward to celebrating David Warner’s final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground,” said Bailey.

Australia Test squad

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner.

Pakistan Test squad

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sajid Khan.

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MELBOURNE: Right-arm pacer Hasan Ali, known for his fun-loving nature, once again amused the cricket fans as he engaged in a funny interaction with the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) crowd during the second Test between Pakistan and Australia.

Three overs after Mitchell Marsh’s dismissal, right-arm pacer Hasan Ali was seen orchestrating the lively MCG crowd near the boundary line with stretches and dance moves.

The crowd followed Hasan’s moves in sync, as the fast bowler appeared to be enjoying himself and even gave the crowd a round of applause.

Later, Hasan Ali also gave an autograph to a fan on his forehead.

Get your body moving with Hasan Ali! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/8Y0ltpInXx

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023

 

Australia were 187/6 in their second innings at the Stumps on Day 3 with a notable 241-run lead over Pakistan in the second Test.

Wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey (16*) and Mitchell Starc will now resume Australia’s innings on Day 4.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan resumed their innings at 194-6 with Mohammad Rizwan (29) and Aamir Jamal (2) on the crease.

The pair could add 21 runs to their overnight partnership as Pakistan’s batting mainstay Mohammad Rizwan fell victim to Pat Cummins in the eighth over of the day.

He scored an important 42 in 51 deliveries with the help of one boundary and a six.

Aamir Jamal was then joined by Shaheen Afridi at the crease and the duo stitched a vital 25-run partnership, majorly dominated by the latter.

Shaheen scored a brisk 21 off 28 balls and hit four boundaries before Nathan Lyon put an end to his enthralling cameo by trapping him lbw.

Jamal then put together brief partnerships with Hasan Ali (2) and Mir Hamza (2) as Pakistan’s first innings yielded 264 runs in response to Australia’s 318.

He remained unbeaten on 33 off 80 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and a six.

Pat Cummins led the bowling charge for Australia with a five-wicket haul, followed by Nathan Lyon, who picked four.

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Despite a crucial 54-run lead in their arsenal, Australia failed to inflict their dominance over Pakistan and instead got off to a disastrous start to their second innings.

Shaheen Afridi opened the floodgates for Australia with a first-over wicket as he got Usman Khawaja (0) caught behind on the second delivery.

The ace pacer struck again in his next over and got rid of Marnus Labuschagne (4) to dent Australia’s start further.

Mir Hamza soon followed the footsteps of his fellow pacer and he too, struck in quick succession to leave Australia reeling at 16/4.

He castled David Warner (6) and Travis Head (0) on consecutive deliveries when Australia had a narrow 70-run lead.

Smith was then joined by Mitchell Marsh and the pair got Australia going with a massive 154-run partnership which got a lifeline from Abdullah Shafique.

Australia were 46/4 when Aamir Jamal produced a thick edge off Marsh’s bat that went straight to Shafique at the first slip but was put down.

Pakistan had to wait around 35 overs to get a breakthrough as Mir Hamza got Marsh caught in the slips in the 90s.

He remained the top-scorer for Australia with 96 in 130 balls, laced up with 13 boundaries.

Steve Smith shared a brief 18-run partnership with Alex Carey before a sharp-rising delivery by Shaheen Afridi outclassed him soon after his half-century.

He scored 50 in 176 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza picked three wickets each.

READ: Third umpire stuck in lift, delays start of second session of Pakistan-Australia Test

MELBOURNE: The second session of Day 3 of the ongoing second Test between Pakistan and Australia got off to a delayed start as third umpire Richard Illingworth got stuck in a lift.

After an eventful first session, things got even more interesting when the commencement of the second session got delayed by six minutes due to a mishap with third umpire Illingworth.

On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough were all set to resume the action after lunch but they were informed that their colleague was not present upstairs.

Richard Illingworth got trapped in one of the lifts of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and could not return to his seat in time.

The game is delayed because the third umpire … is stuck in the lift #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/eSuKyPQp56

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023

 

Reserve umpire Phillip Gillespie had to rush into the third umpire’s box to fill in for the unavailable third umpire.

Despite being in a tense situation as Australia was 6/2 in their first innings, opening batter David Warner found it amusing and could not hold his laughter.

On the other hand, Steve Smith was heard asking Wilson if he could sit down until his colleague arrived.

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The unusual delay left Wasim Akram, who was commentating on the game, in splits.

“Again? It happened a couple of days ago, somebody got stuck in the lift here.

“I can understand this happening in our part of the world, getting stuck in the lift, but over here? I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Akram quipped.

Fortunately, third umpire Richard Illingworth managed to escape the lift and offered a relieved wave at his fellow umpires.

A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023

 

Later in the session, fourth umpire Gillespie had to briefly give a cover for Wilson as an on-field umpire when the latter walked off the field for an over.

READ: Smith’s dismissal opens way for Pakistan’s comeback against Australia

MELBOURNE: Experienced batter Steve Smith fell in the dying minutes of Day 3 of the ongoing second Test to glimmer a ray of hope for Pakistan but Mitchell Marsh’s 96-run knock kept Australia in command.

Australia had amassed 187/6 in their second innings when Steve Smith’s dismissal off Shaheen Shah Afridi resulted in the umpires to call it a day.

The home side have acquired a massive 241-run lead over Pakistan and will be eyeing to stretch it further when wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey, unbeaten on 16, resumes Australia’s second innings on Day 4 with Mitchell Starc.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan resumed their innings at 194-6 with Mohammad Rizwan (29) and Aamir Jamal (2) on the crease.

The pair could add 21 runs to their overnight partnership as Pakistan’s batting mainstay Mohammad Rizwan fell victim to Pat Cummins in the eighth over of the day.

He scored an important 42 in 51 deliveries with the help of one boundary and a six.

Aamir Jamal was then joined by Shaheen Afridi at the crease and the duo stitched a vital 25-run partnership, majorly dominated by the latter.

Shaheen scored a brisk 21 off 28 balls and hit four boundaries before Nathan Lyon put an end to his enthralling cameo by trapping him lbw.

Jamal then put together brief partnerships with Hasan Ali (2) and Mir Hamza (2) as Pakistan’s first innings yielded 264 runs in response to Australia’s 318.

He remained unbeaten on 33 off 80 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and a six.

Pat Cummins led the bowling charge for Australia with a five-wicket haul, followed by Nathan Lyon, who picked four.

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Despite a crucial 54-run lead in their arsenal, Australia failed to inflict their dominance over Pakistan and instead got off to a disastrous start to their second innings.

Shaheen Afridi opened the floodgates for Australia with a first-over wicket as he got Usman Khawaja (0) caught behind on the second delivery.

The ace pacer struck again in his next over and got rid of Marnus Labuschagne (4) to dent Australia’s start further.

Mir Hamza soon followed the footsteps of his fellow pacer and he too, struck in quick succession to leave Australia reeling at 16/4.

He castled David Warner (6) and Travis Head (0) on consecutive deliveries when Australia had a narrow 70-run lead.

Smith was then joined by Mitchell Marsh and the pair got Australia going with a massive 154-run partnership which got a lifeline from Abdullah Shafique.

Australia were 46/4 when Aamir Jamal produced a thick edge off Marsh’s bat that went straight to Shafique at the first slip but was put down.

Pakistan had to wait around 35 overs to get a breakthrough as Mir Hamza got Marsh caught in the slips in the 90s.

He remained the top-scorer for Australia with 96 in 130 balls, laced up with 13 boundaries.

Steve Smith shared a brief 18-run partnership with Alex Carey before a sharp-rising delivery by Shaheen Afridi outclassed him soon after his half-century.

He scored 50 in 176 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza picked three wickets each.

READ: Pat Cummins reveals the tactics behind Babar Azam’s dismissal

MELBOURNE: Australia’s captain Pat Cummins revealed the game plan behind the ball he bowled to dismiss former Pakistan captain Babar Azam on the second day of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday.

Pat Cummins dismissed Babar Azam with a back-of-a-length ball just outside off-stump, which swung inwards and rattled the stumps through Azam’s defence.

Cummins opened up about the tactics behind the ball which sent Babar Azam back to the pavilion during the post-match press conference.

“It’s a dream ball – that’s what you try and bowl most balls, but it’s rare that it comes off. Really happy with that one,” said Cummins.

“That wasn’t a deliberate ball to seam in. That’s 50-50, whether it’s going to seam in or out. I try and create a bit of an angle, and if I don’t know what it’s doing, hopefully, the batter doesn’t know either.”

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“Swing is a bit more predictable – the batter sees it a bit earlier and the margins are a bit smaller. I try and swing the odd one but it’s rare – most of the time, I’m trying to get a bit of seam off the wicket,” he concluded.

Babar Azam has been struggling on the Australian tour with scores of 21 and 14 during the Perth Test, which was followed by a score of 1 during the ongoing second Test.

While Pat Cummins led Australian bowling with the figures of 3-37 to reduce Pakistan to 194-6 at the stumps of the second day, after the hosts were bowled for 318 earlier in the day.

Pakistan will resume their innings on the third day with Mohammad Rizwan (29) and Aamir Jamal (2) on the crease, while Australia is leading by 124 runs.

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