Tag: Pakistan vs Australia

ADELAIDE: The Pakistan squad carried out an extensive training session here on Wednesday ahead of the second ODI against Australia.

According to the details, the Pakistan squad engaged in a rigorous practice session for a crucial second match after losing the first match in Melbourne.

The players partook in several batting, bowling and fielding drills to boast their preparations for the upcoming clash at the Adelaide Oval ground.

For the unversed, Pakistan lost the first ODI by two wickets at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after a spirited performance with the ball.

The second match of the series will be played on 8 November in Adelaide, while Perth will host the third ODI on 10 November.

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The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

Brisbane will host the first T20I, with the next matches scheduled for November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.

Notably, wicket-keeper Josh Inglis is set to captain Australia for the first time as he will lead the side in the third ODI against Pakistan as well as the following T20I series.

Regular ODI captain Pat Cummins as well as star players Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will not play the third ODI in Perth in order to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Test series against India.

Meanwhile, T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh will miss the three-match T20I series against Pakistan starting November 14 due to his paternity leave.

READ: Josh Inglis to lead Australia in third ODI against Pakistan

Wicket-keeper Josh Inglis is set to captain Australia for the first time as he will lead the side in the third ODI against Pakistan as well as the following T20I series, selectors said on Wednesday.

Regular ODI captain Pat Cummins as well as star players Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will not play the third ODI in Perth in order to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Test series against India.

Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson and Josh Philippe all come into the squad for the final ODI.

Meanwhile, T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh is on paternity leave and Inglis will stand in as captain for Australia in the three-match T20 series against Pakistan starting November 14.

“Josh is an integral member of the ODI and T20I teams and a highly respected player on and off the field,” George Bailey, chairman of selectors, said.

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“He has led Australia A previously and will bring strong tactical nous and a positive approach to the role.”

Australia are currently leading the three-match ODI series after winning the first ODI by two wickets on Monday.

The second match of the series will be played on 8 November in Adelaide, while Perth will host the third ODI on 10 November.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

Brisbane will host the first T20I, with the next matches scheduled for November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.

READ: Mohammad Huraira to lead Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka A

Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Monday commended the team’s performance during the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia.

Pakistan’s batting line-up was folded for a meagre 203 runs after being invited to bat first at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, the bowlers kept Pakistan in the match as they fought hard to defend the paltry total.

The hosts slipped from 113-2 to 155-7, courtesy of brilliant pace bowling by Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

But Australian captain Pat Cummins held on to his nerves and steered his side to a thrilling two-wicket victory with an unbeaten 32-run knock.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the Pakistani players for their gutsy performance despite the defeat.

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He took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and commended the performance while expressing hope that the team would make a resounding comeback in the series.

“Well done Pakistan Team for fighting a tough match against Australia! You boys gave it your all and fought in the best possible way. It’s only the first match, and we’re confident you’ll make us proud. Keep pushing,” Naqvi posted.

It’s worth noting that the second match of the series will be played on 8 November in Adelaide, while Perth will host the third ODI on 10 November.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

Brisbane will host the first T20I, with the next matches scheduled for November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.

READ: PCB Chairman expresses satisfaction with Gaddafi Stadium upgradation

MELBOURNE: Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc achieved a major milestone during the ongoing first ODI against Pakistan here at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.

Starc gave Australia the desired start after they opted to field as he removed both openers inside seven overs with 24 runs on the board.

During his brilliant new-ball spell, Starc became the fifth Australian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets in Australia. Prior to Starc, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Craig McDermott have achieved this feat.

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Debutant Saim Ayub became Starc’s 100th scalp at home as he got an inside edge that crashed his stumps. Abdullah Shafique also fell prey to Starc after getting caught behind off a short delivery.

The left-arm pacer returned to the attack later and ended Shaheen Shah Afridi’s quick cameo of 24 runs from 19 balls, which featured three fours and one six.

Mitchell Starc returned with figures of 3-33 to bundle Pakistan for 203 in 46.4 overs.

Most Wickets by Australian bowlers in Home ODIs

• Brett Lee — 169 wickets
• Glenn McGrath — 160 wickets
• Shane Warne — 134 wickets
• Craig McDermott — 125 wickets
• Mitchell Starc — 102* wickets

READ: Mitchell Starc stars as Australia bundle Pakistan for 203

MELBOURNE: Australia captain Pat Cummins held on to his nerves and steered his side to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first ODI of the three-match series here at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.

Cummins remained unbeaten on 32 as Australia chased the 204-run target in 33.3 overs at the loss of eight wickets.

The hosts had an unwanted start to the run-chase as both openers returned to the pavilion in four overs with only 28 runs on the board.

However, Steve Smith and Josh Inglis put Australia on top with a partnership of 85 runs in 75 balls, pushing the team’s total to 114.

Haris Rauf broke the partnership with the wicket of Smith, who scored 44 off 46 with the help of six boundaries.

Meanwhile, Inglis fell prey to Shaheen Shah Afridi, thanks to a terrific catch by Irfan Khan. The wicket-keeper top-scored for Australia with a 42-ball knock of 49 runs, laced with four boundaries and three sixes.

With Australia needing 65 runs from 30 overs, Rauf removed Marnus Labuschagne (16) and Glenn Maxwell (0) on back-to-back deliveries to leave Australia reeling at 139-6.

Mohammad Hasnain dismissed Aaron Hardie (10), however, Sean Abbott and Pat Cummins kept Australia in the game with a valuable 30-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

Abbott scored 13 runs before he was run out, courtesy of a brilliant direct hit by Shaheen Afridi while attempting a third run.

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Australia needed 19 runs from 20 overs with two wickets in hand but Cummins held on to his nerve and guided his side to the victory with a gusty knock of 32.

For Pakistan, Rauf took three, while Afridi claimed two wickets. Naseem Shah and Hasnain grabbed one apiece.

Mitchell Starc gave Australia the desired start after they opted to field as he removed both openers inside seven overs with 24 runs on the board.

Babar Azam played a 37-run knock from 44 balls and added 39 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan before getting bowled by Adam Zampa.

Kamran Ghulam could add only runs with one boundary as he fell prey to Pat Cummins’ well-directed bouncer in the next over.

Meanwhile, Sean Abbott removed Salman Ali (12) to leave Pakistan struggling at 101-5.

Mohammad Rizwan scored 44 runs from 71 balls before he top-edged off Marnus Labuschagne while attempting to sweep, only to get caught by wicket-keeper Josh Inglis.

Irfan Khan (22) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (24) added valuable runs before Naseem Shah played a gusty cameo of 40, which featured four sixes and one four to help Pakistan cross the 200-run mark.

Pat Cummins ended Naseem’s cameo to bundle Pakistan for 203.

Starc led the bowling charts with figures of 3-33, while Cummins and Zampa claimed two wickets each.

READ: Winning even one ODI in Australia would be a big deal for Pakistan: Wasim Akram

MELBOURNE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Playing XI for the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia, scheduled to be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on 4 November.

“The men’s national selection committee has confirmed Pakistan’s playing XI for the first ODI against Australia,” the PCB posted on their official social media accounts.

Notably, Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan will kick off his tenure with the first ODI against Australia after replacing Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role last month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Pakistan have opted to go with an all-pace strategy considering the conditions in Melbourne as they named Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Hasnain in their Playing XI.

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Meanwhile, opening batter Saim Ayub and middle-order batter Irfan Khan will make their ODI debuts.

Abdullah Shafique will open the innings alongside, Saim, while Babar, Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and Irfan will form the rest of the batting order.

Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.

Australia Playing XI: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

READ: Winning even one ODI in Australia would be a big deal for Pakistan: Wasim Akram

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam was honoured on Friday as his bat was displayed in the Long Room at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The management of the MCG reached out to the former Pakistan captain, inviting him to add to the prestigious Long Room collection.

This esteemed Long Room collection showcases an array of iconic bats donated by cricketing legends, including the likes of Don Bradman, David Boon, Jack Hobbs, and Brian Lara.

Babar Azam donated the bat that he used during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 final against England held at MCG.

The star batter expressed his pride in joining cricketing legends in the MCG Long Room.

“It’s an incredible honour to have my bat displayed in the MCG Long Room alongside some of the greatest batters in history,” said Babar. “This means a lot to me because I played a World Cup final using this bat.

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“I have many good memories of playing at the MCG. It is one of the best grounds of my career.”

Babar Azam is currently in Australia for a six-match white-ball series, which includes three ODI matches and as many T20Is.

He stepped down from the role of Pakistan’s white-ball captain last month and was replaced by wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the ODI series opener, while the subsequent matches are scheduled on November 8 and 10 in Adelaide and Perth, respectively.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

The star batter is on the verge of a major ODI milestone as he needs 271 runs to complete 6000 runs.

Moreover, he boasts a strong chance to dethrone South African great Hashim Amla’s record of fastest to 6000 ODI runs.

READ: Hong Kong Sixes: Asif Ali’s blitz powers Pakistan to victory over India

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has expressed that the upcoming ODI series against Australia poses a substantial challenge for the Pakistan cricket team under newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicket-keeper batter replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Mohammad Rizwan will begin his tenure as captain with the three-match ODI series aginst Australia, starting on November 4.

Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps.

As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.

Wasim Akram, during an online press conference from Melbourne, highlighted Rizwan’s potential as captain citing his leadership experience.

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“Rizwan is an experienced campaigner. He’s been captaining all his life, leading Multan Sultans in the PSL to one trophy and two finals,” said Akram. “When it comes to leadership, he’s a seasoned campaigner.”

Nonetheless, the former captain emphasized the challenge of playing against Australia in their home conditions, particularly in ODI cricket.

“It’s his first tour [as captain] and a difficult one. It’s challenging to beat Australia in Australia, especially in ODI cricket,” he added.

“In T20I cricket [there is a chance] maybe, but Australia in ODI cricket is a tough team to beat.”

Wasim urged the Pakistan players to concentrate on playing high-quality cricket while pointing out that winning even a single ODI match in these conditions would be a notable accomplishment for the team.

“They should just focus on cricket and try to do well against Australia. Winning even one ODI out of three in Australia would be a big deal,” he remarked.

READ: Wasim Akram confident India will visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy

MELBOURNE: The first contingent of the Pakistan white-ball squad carried out an extensive training session here on Thursday for the first ODI against Australia, scheduled to be played on 4 November at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The first group, which includes Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, and Faisal Akram, arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday and participated in the rigorous practice of batting, bowling, and fielding today.

Meanwhile, the second group included white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, his deputy Salman Ali Agha, alongside Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Saim Ayub, Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah and Arafat Minhas.

They arrived in Australia on Wednesday evening and rested on Thursday. The entire Pakistan squad will train together at the MCG on Friday.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, followed by a white-ball series in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, which will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe on Sunday.

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The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Key players like Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were rested from the last two Tests against England, retained their place in the white-ball squads for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia tour and Zimbabwe ODIs but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who has been appointed as the vice-captain, will lead the team in Rizwan’s absence during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

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: Ben Stokes’ house in England ‘burgled’ amid his tour to Pakistan

The second contingent of Pakistan white-ball squad, under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, reached Melbourne, Australia for the three-match ODI and T20I series.

The second group of the Pakistan squad that reached Australia on Wednesday evening included white-ball captain Rizwan, his deputy Salman Ali Agha, alongside Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Saim Ayub, Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah and Arafat Minhas.

Remember, seven players from the Pakistan team Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Faisal Akram reached Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, followed by a white-ball series in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, which will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe yesterday.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Key players like Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were rested from the last two Tests against England, retained their place in the white-ball squads for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia tour and Zimbabwe ODIs, but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who has been appointed as the vice-captain, will lead the team in Rizwan’s absence during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

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.

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