Tag: Pakistan vs Australia

CANBERRA: Shan Masood registered his 25th first-class century to start off his maiden tour as Pakistan’s captain, taking his team to 324-6 after 89.4 overs on the first day of the four-day game against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Australian right-arm pacer Jordan Buckingham struck early to dismiss opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (9) after Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.

Shan Masood coming in to bat at number three weaved a brilliant undefeated knock of 156 from 235 deliveries, including 13 boundaries and a six, ensuring Pakistan remained within reach of an impressive total in the first innings.

He was the top-scorer for the side and successfully held one end throughout the day while six wickets fell on the other end.

Shan Masood had joined opening batter Abdullah Shafique (38) on the crease at 18-1 and together they stitched a 58-run stand before the latter was caught at short cover after mistiming a length ball delivered by Steketee.

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Babar Azam then batted together with Shan Masood to add 92 runs to the total, however, Buckingham struck again to take Pakistan’s most prized wicket as Babar walked back to the pavilion after scoring 40 from 88, including five fours.

The next batter in, Saud Shakeel (13), failed to stay on the crease for too long as he fell victim to off-spinner Todd Murphy.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed produced a brisk 41 from 47, studded with six boundaries before he was caught off Buckingham’s bowling.

The partnership between Shan and Sarfaraz yielded a total of 73 runs for the fifth wicket.

Faheem Ashraf (17, 35b, 1×4) was the last batter to fall today as Pakistan ended the day at 324-6 after batting for 89.4 overs.

The second day’s play at Manuka Oval will resume at 04:30 PKT.

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CANBERRA: Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood has revealed the batting order for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia, which will see him playing at number three.

Shan Masood talked to the media after the trophy unveiling ceremony for the four-day match between Pakistan and Australian Prime Minister XI, which is set to start tomorrow.

The newly appointed Pakistan’s Test skipper stated that Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique will continue to open the innings while Babar Azam will bat at number four.

“We will continue with the same batting order from the last Test series. Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique are settled as opening batters for over a year,” said Shan Masood.

“Babar Azam is our main batter and he has been playing at number four in Test cricket, so we will plan our batting around him.”

Shan Masood further opened up about his position and the role of two wicketkeepers in the squad.

“I played at number three since my comeback to the Test side, so I will continue in that role, while Sarafraz Ahmed will be our first-choice wicketkeeper,” stated Masood.

“However, we can play both Sarfaraz and Mohammad Rizwan, depending on conditions where one can play as a batter.”

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He also showed confidence in Pakistan’s bowling attack and hoped that it would pose a threat to Australian batters.

“We have got a balanced pace attack led by Shaheen Afridi, with each bowler posing a different threat.”

“Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad are proven performers in our domestic circuit, having the ability to make a mark in Australia.”

“Mohammad Wasim Jr. can provide us extreme pace with reverse swing, supported by all-rounder Aamer Jamal who also bowls with good pace. While Faheem Ashraf is a seasoned all-rounder who has done well in Test cricket.”

Pakistan’s captain also praised Australian batter David Warner for his impressive Test career, which may come to an end after the upcoming Test series.

“David Warner has been a great servant to not only Australia but world cricket. We wish him the best of luck but we will make sure to make his last series challenging.”

“Australia have an overall balanced side and one of the best bowling attack in the world. We have to play our brand of cricket in all three departments to challenge them and I believe we have a team which can do that,” Shan Masood concluded.

Pakistan and Australia will square off in the first Test match in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed upbeat for tough challenge in Australia Tests

CANBERRA: Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is ready to face the challenges that lay ahead in the upcoming four-day game against Australian Prime Minister XI.

Sarfaraz Ahmed while talking to the media, recalled the inspiring innings of Chris Gayle at Manuka Oval and stressed the importance of the match against PM XI.

“I remember watching Chris Gayle’s incredible innings of 200 runs against Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval. Now, as we brace ourselves for a four-day clash in Canberra against Australia, the weather seems to be good,” said Sarfaraz Ahmed.

“This match holds an immense significance as it kickstarts the three-match test series against the formidable Australian team.”

Expressing his confidence, Sarfaraz highlighted the strength of the Pakistani lineup.

“Australia boasts good batters, but we are no less. With Abdullah, Babar, Imam, Saud, and Agha in our ranks, we are well-equipped for the challenge,” he declared.

Sarfaraz further praised the quality of Pakistan’s bowlers in the Test squad.

“Shaheen and Hasan are exceptional, and we have the likes of Mir Hamza, Khurram Shehzad, and Fahim, who have proven their mettle in domestic competitions.”

The former captain then took a moment to extend his congratulations to the newly-appointed Test captain Shan Masood and acknowledged his leadership.

“It’s always an honour to lead your country, and I want to congratulate Shan Masood for his role,” said the wicketkeeper batter.

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“The camaraderie between Babar Azam, Muhammad Hafeez, and Shan Masood is a testament to the strong bond within our camp.”

Sarfaraz Ahmed concluded with the humble mention that he is ready to play any role for the team in Australia.

“I am happy to play any role – whether as a batter or a wicket-keeper – in contributing to the success of the team.”

Pakistan and Australia will square off in the first Test match in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

Pakistan squad

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia squad

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

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Usman Khawaja jumped to the defence of his opening partner David Warner on Monday after stinging criticism of the veteran batsman from Australian great Mitchell Johnson.

Former fast bowler Johnson hit out after Warner kept his spot in Australia’s squad to face Pakistan in the first Test later this month despite a poor run of red-ball form.

The three-match home series against Pakistan is expected to be Warner’s farewell to Test cricket.

The decision to keep faith with Warner provoked a strong response from Johnson, who questioned why his former team-mate should be given a “hero’s send-off” in light of his poor Test form.

“Can somebody please tell me why?” he wrote in The West Australian newspaper at the weekend, also bringing up Warner’s central role in the notorious “Sandpaper-gate” ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

Steve Smith and Warner were both banned for a year for their part in the scandal, but Khawaja told reporters on Monday: “Davey Warner and Steve Smith are heroes in my mind.”

“No one’s perfect,” Khawaja added.

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“Mitchell Johnson isn’t perfect, I’m not perfect, Steven Smith isn’t perfect, David Warner isn’t perfect.

“What they’ve done for the game from a positive point of view… far outweighs anything else they’ve done.

“So for (Johnson) to imply that Davey Warner or anyone else involved in the sandpaper (scandal), is not a hero, I strongly disagree with that.”

The first Test against Pakistan in Perth starts on December 14, before the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then Sydney, beginning January 3.

Warner has indicated he plans to quit the five-day game after the Test at his home Sydney Cricket Ground but will continue in white-ball cricket.

Warner was in scintillating form at the recent 50-over World Cup, but he has scored just one Test century since early 2020 and has averaged only 28 since the 2019-2020 summer in Australia.

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Pakistan’s left-arm pace bowler Shaheen Afridi expressed his desire to spoil Australian opening batter David Warner’s final Test series, starting with the Perth Test on December 14th.

David Warner was in scintillating white ball form at the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023, scoring 535 runs at a 48.63 average for his side which won their sixth World Cup title.

However, Warner has scored just one Test century since early 2020 and averages only 28 since the 2019-2020 summer.

The 37-year-old batter has indicated he plans to quit the five-day game after the third Test against Pakistan at his home Sydney Cricket Ground.

Shaheen Afridi, while talking to the media before his side’s practice session in Canberra praised Warner for his stellar career but predicted that the southpaw will not have a ‘good end’ to his Test career.

“We would wish him good luck but we are not hoping for a good end for David Warner in his last Test series against us,” said Shaheen Afridi.

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Afridi also stressed the importance of the Australian series for Pakistan to hold on to their top spot in the World Test Championship’s points table.

“This is an important series for Pakistan as we are leading the World Test Championship’s point table at the moment,” he further added.

He further expressed his side’s readiness to take the challenge of facing Australia in their tough home conditions.

“We have played against the recently announced Australia’s 14-member squad, and we are all up for this challenge,” he affirmed.

Pakistan and Australia will square off in the first Test match in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

Pakistan squad

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia squad

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

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Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh expressed his excitement to participate in the West Test against Pakistan at Perth, commencing on December 14.

During a media talk in Perth, Australia, Marsh shared his eagerness to play at the fast and bouncy pitch of Perth Stadium, where he has never played a Test match.

“This is the best wicket in the world. I haven’t played any Test match in Perth, but if I got selected, I would be super excited to feature in the West Test,” said Marsh.

“This pitch is fast and bouncy, this is what you want as a player which brings batter and bowler both an equal chance to contest,” he further added.

Mitchell Marsh also shared his joy for being part of the Australian team across all formats, stressing his consistent batting method over the past couple of years.

“I love being part of the Australian team, whatever the format it is. It’s an absolute pleasure to play for this team from the last few years. I think I have found my most consistent method of batting from the last couple of years,” he said.

Mitchell Marsh has recently played a crucial in Australia’s sixth World Cup title victory in India.

The 32-year-old allrounder amassed 441 runs in the tournament, including two centuries in ten outings at an average of 49.

Furthermore, after the West Test, the second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

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Australian batter Usman Khawaja heaped high praise on former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and termed him ‘the best batter in all three formats’ on par with Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Virat Kohli.

In a recent interview, Usman Khawaja drew parallels between the upcoming clash of batting titans, Babar Azam and Steve Smith during the Test series between Pakistan and Australia.

“Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in all three formats. Steve Smith is the greatest batsman of our era,” said Khawaja.

“When they both will be playing here in the Benaud-Qadir series, it would be exciting. Matching Babar with Smith is almost like matching Smith with Kohli.”

He commended Babar Azam’s ability to perform consistently both at home and overseas.

“One of the great things about Babar is he does not score only in Pakistan; he scores runs overseas as well. He has scored a hundred here in the past.”

Usman Khawaja also shared his thoughts on the last series played between Australia and Pakistan, highlighting the excellent spirit of cricket displayed during the Lahore Test encounter between Shaheen Shah Afridi and David Warner.

“The last series between Australia and Pakistan was an excellent series. It went very well on and off the field. Shaheen was bowling excellent in the Lahore test, and Warner was playing really well.”

“Even when Warner got out, he got pat on the shoulders with a smile on Shaheen’s face. It was the epitome of the spirit of cricket. That’s what Australians want; you play hard, and when the game is over, you are all good and mates off the field,” Khawaja remarked.

Expressing his admiration for the Pakistani team, Usman Khawaja praised their batting skills and the strength of their fast-bowling attack.

“Pakistan is one of the better teams in the world. They have good batting and always have great fast bowlers.”

“Looking at the past teams, I think this is the strongest Pakistan batting lineup coming over. Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world. Imam ul Haq and Abdullah Shafique have scored a lot of runs. I am very excited about this challenge.”

Khawaja also acknowledged the challenge posed by Pakistan’s fast bowlers in Australian conditions.

“I think Shaheen Shah and Mitchell Starc, both are very fast bowlers, and both can bowl up to 145. We know Starc can swing the new ball. Shaheen has a very good wrist. He definitely swings the ball.”

“When it’s overcast in Australian conditions, if a fast bowler is swinging the ball, it makes our job as an opener a bit tough. This is what you rebel for, this is what you play for,” Khawaja concluded.

READ: Pakistan Test squad to reach Australia tomorrow

The Pakistan Test squad is set to reach Sydney in the wee hours of 1st December, to play a three-match series against Australia.

Pakistan squad will then immediately embark on their journey to Canberra before midday.

Upon their arrival in the Australian capital, the squad will kick off their training sessions on Sunday, 3rd December, starting at 10 am local time.

Following the practice, Pakistan’s pace sensation, Shaheen Shah Afridi, will address the media at 12:45 pm.

The following day, on 4th December, Pakistan will feature in their second training session from 10 am to 1 pm.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed will be available for media interaction at 12:45 pm.

On 5th December, the captains of PM XI and Pakistan squad, Nathan McSweeney and Shan Masood respectively, will participate in the captains’ call and trophy photoshoot at the iconic Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Meanwhile, PM XI is scheduled for a training session from 10 am to 1 pm, while Pakistan will hit the field for their training session from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

The much-anticipated four-day match between Pakistan and PM XI is set to commence on 6th December at Manuka Oval, Canberra.

Pakistan team will kick off the Test series with the first Test in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

Pakistan squad for the tour of Australia

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

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LAHORE: Newly appointed Test captain of Pakistan cricket team Shan Masood has shown faith in former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the first-choice wicketkeeper during the Australian tour.

Shan Masood, who replaced Babar Azam as Test captain, acknowledged Sarfaraz Ahmed’s performance in recent Test matches for Pakistan while talking to the media ahead of the team’s departure for Australia.

“Sarfaraz was player of the series in the last home series against New Zealand. He also performed well in Sri Lanka and secured his spot in the team. He is the settled wicketkeeper in this team,” Shan said.

However, he also shed light on the importance of wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as a better and did not rule out the possibility of playing him solely as a batter.

“We might require Rizwan as a batsman. His track record is fantastic in Australia. He was one of the top scorers when we last toured Australia for Test matches,” Shan Masood added.

“We might encounter a situation where we might have to drop a spinner and play an extra batter, so Rizwan can come into the fore then,” he concluded.

Pakistan is scheduled to play a three-match Test series against Australia commencing from 14 December 2023 to 7 January 2024.

The team will depart from Lahore on 30 November and will kick off the Test series with the first Test in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

Pakistan squad for the tour of Australia

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

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LAHORE: Newly appointed captain of Pakistan cricket team Shan Masood set his side a tough target on Wednesday for their forthcoming tour of Australia — make history.

Pakistan have never won a Test series in the 12 times they have toured down under, with the South Asian side losing the last 14 five-dayers in a row there.

But Masood, 34, who took over the Test side after Babar Azam relinquished the captaincy in all formats of cricket following Pakistan’s disastrous World Cup campaign, sees an opportunity.

“When you have not achieved something in history, then you have an opportunity to change it,” he told a news conference in Lahore ahead of the team’s departure.

“So we will make an effort to produce positive results for Pakistan and for the World Test championship.”

Pakistan are on the top of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with wins in both Tests against Sri Lanka, while India are second and Australia are third on the nine-team table.

But Australia are flying high after winning the last cycle of the championship and lifting the 50-over World Cup earlier this month.

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The Test series starts with the first match in Perth from December 14, followed by Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).

Pakistan lost both Tests by an innings margin during their last tour — a series Masood was part of.

“We need to score 400 and then take 20 wickets,” said Shan Masood of what was required.

“We did not do that on our last tour in 2019, so that is the goal.”

Shan Masood admitted Australia would be high on confidence.

“The positive thing will be to have the belief to play well, and all those playing contribute to give Australia some tough times.”

Masood insisted the tourists had prepared well for this series.

“We tried to replicate the Australian conditions in our training camp in Rawalpindi, which has a bouncy pitch,” he said.

He also hailed the appointment of former England skipper Adam Hollioake, who coaches in Australia, as the team’s new batting coach.

“Teams hire people who have local knowledge, and he is an expert in Australian conditions so his appointment will help us to apply ourselves in those conditions.”

He also backed his predecessor Azam to have a big tour, saying the team’s batting “will go around him”.

“We want to play the type of cricket that our fans enjoy — a good and fighting brand,” he said.

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