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Tag: Australia

  • Pak vs Aus: Imamul Haq, Shafique create Test record against Australia

    Pak vs Aus: Imamul Haq, Shafique create Test record against Australia

    Imam-ul-Haq created a Test record and his opening partner Abdullah Shafique hit a maiden hundred as Pakistan’s first home Test against Australia in 24 years ended in a tense draw in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

    Imam-ul-Haq was the Player of the Match for scoring hundred in both the innings. He said that he has been working hard for the last couple of years and he feels good to score centuries in both the innings, especially against a team like Australia.

    Shafique finished on 136 as Pakistan were 252 without loss when the match ended without a result.

    The home team led by 208 runs after dismissing Australia for 459 in the morning session. Pakistan declared 476-4 in their first innings.

    Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali grabbed four wickets on Monday and finished with career-best figures of 6-107 in 38.1 overs — his third five-wicket haul in eight Tests. Shaheen Afridi bowled really well.

    The second Test of the series will begin on Saturday, March 12.

    The Australian cricket team is in Pakistan for its first tour of the country in 24 years.

    Pakistani authorities aren’t taking any risks and have deployed 4,100 security personnel, army snipers and road closures for the players.

  • Australia’s tour is “huge message” to the world: Wasim Khan

    Australia’s tour is “huge message” to the world: Wasim Khan

    Former CEO of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wasim Khan called it a delight and a privilege to welcome Australia to Pakistan and termed it a “huge occasion” for not only cricket fans in Pakistan but also around the globe.

    Speaking to Geo News, Wasim Khan said that he “gets very excited about the tour like all other Pakistanis and cricket lovers as it is a huge occasion for the whole nation”.

    He said that this will send out a “huge message” to the world.

    He admitted there had been concerns about touring Pakistan from the players a few months ago, but they had all been put away by Pakistan’s security arrangements.

    “Hockley thanked me for all the hard work that was done for nearly 18 months to finalise the details of the tour,” said Wasim.

    Wasim said that it wasn’t just a single person’s work but a team effort as many people played their part to make this possible. “I have been in regular contact with Cricket Australia’s management and also players like Usman Khwaja,” he added.

    Wasim Khan said that there are many people on both sides that have worked tirelessly over the months to make this tour a reality. “This tour also sends out a strong and positive message to the entire world.” And he is confident that when the Australian team returns home, they will leave with fond memories.

    Last year, England and New Zealand cricketers didn’t play in Pakistan because of security concerns.

    Wasim added that there is no reason left for both England and New Zealand to not tour Pakistan later this year.

    “It feels so great that such positive news is coming out of Pakistan. The statements from Australians are very encouraging, which is a real proud moment for Pakistan.”

    “I was personally very disappointed, in fact, everyone was, as all of us put so much effort to make that possible,” he said.

  • Aussies vs Aussie: Pakistan’s new bowling coach Shaun Tait to arrive in Pakistan on March 9

    Aussies vs Aussie: Pakistan’s new bowling coach Shaun Tait to arrive in Pakistan on March 9

    Pakistan’s newly-appointed bowling Coach Shaun Tait is set to arrive in Pakistan on March 9. His first assignment will be Pakistan’s home series against Australia. Tait will join the Pakistani squad after a three-day mandatory isolation period.

     Shaun Tait is a former Australian professional cricketer. He is considered one of the fastest bowlers in the world.

    He has been appointed by The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the bowling coach for the national squad for a one year period.

    Tait is very excited that he is the new bowling coach and says that Pakistan has several great fast bowlers and it’s a big responsibility to be a bowling coach for Pakistan. In a video statement, Tait said, “Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Hassan Ali and Mohammad Abbas, are some of the names of the great bowlers in Pakistan and I am passionate to work with them,” he said.

    He further said that he can’t wait anymore to “avail the opportunity to work with the Pakistan team.”

    Tait’s father passed away last month, due to which his arrival to Pakistan was delayed.

  • ‘The man who made spin cool’: Cricket legend Shane Warne passes away at 52

    ‘The man who made spin cool’: Cricket legend Shane Warne passes away at 52

    Australian cricket legend Shane Warne died on Friday at the age of 52.

    Warne’s management released a brief statement confirming the news. “Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” said the statement.

    “The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course.”

    Warne is regarded as one of the finest leg-spin bowlers of all time, bagging 708 Test wickets in a career that spanned from 1992 to 2007.

    Following the news of Shane Warne’s death, cricketers and fans from all over the world started expressing their grief and sadness over his demise.

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam, tweeted, “He literally inspired generations with his magical leg-spin. You’ll forever be missed.”

    Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi tweeted, “The game of cricket has lost what I consider a university of leg-spin bowling today. I was inspired by his bowling from the start of my career and it was always a privilege to play against him.”

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1499756145371668485

    Pakistan’s former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in a video message said, “It’s going to take a long time to get over this loss.”

    Australia opener David Warner grieved the loss of “two legends” — Warne and Marsh — saying that they had left too soon.

    “I’m lost for words, and this is extremely sad,” he tweeted.

    Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag said: “One of the greatest spinners, the man who made spin cool, superstar Shane Warne is no more.”

    West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle tweeted, “RIP LEGEND.”

    Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara also expressed disbelief, saying that he was “absolutely shocked and gutted” to hear about the death of a “legend and friend”.

    Waqar Younis shared similar sentiments and said it was a “very, very sad day for our cricket community. The biggest superstar of my generation [is] gone”.

  • ‘Historic moment in Pakistan cricket,’ says PCB CEO Faisal Hasnain as Pakistan and Australia series kicks off

    ‘Historic moment in Pakistan cricket,’ says PCB CEO Faisal Hasnain as Pakistan and Australia series kicks off

    After 24 years, Pakistan and Australia are playing the first Test match of the PakvsAus series today (March 4) in Rawalpindi. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Team Australia arrived in Pakistan on Sunday (February 27) for their first tour since 1998 and will play three Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and a T20I.

    “The pitch looks nice so we’ll try to put runs on the board,” said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. He also predicted that our spinners would play a key role in the first match of the three-Test series.

    Babar Azam and Pat Cummins are leading their sides in the first Test of the three-match Benaud-Qadir ICC World Test Championship series match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Faisal Hasnain said in a press conference today (Friday) that Pakistani cricket fans have waited 24 years for this moment. He expressed gratitude to the Australian Cricket Team for their tour to Pakistan.

     Naseem Shah has been included in the squad for the first Test against Australia after bowler Haris Rauf tested positive for Covid-19.

    Test squads for Rawalpindi match

    Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah

    Australia: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

    Test schedule:
    • 1st Test, Rawalpindi: March 4-8
    • 2nd Test, Karachi: March 12-16
    • 3rd Test, Lahore: March 21-25
  • ‘As dry as local hotels,’ remarks Australian’s chief cricket writer on Rawalpindi pitch

    ‘As dry as local hotels,’ remarks Australian’s chief cricket writer on Rawalpindi pitch

    The Australian’s chief cricket writer, Peter Lalor, remarked on Tuesday that a 22 yard patch of the Rawalpindi pitch is “as dry as the local hotels”. He shared a picture of the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the first match of the Test series between Pakistan and Australia will be played on March 4.

    https://twitter.com/plalor/status/1498535983809282048
    Historic series

    Team Australia arrived in Pakistan on Sunday for their first tour since 1998. They are scheduled to play three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I.

    Tickets

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the availability of Pakistan-Australia Test series tickets online. The matches will be played in several cities of Pakistan— Rawalpindi (March 4-8), Karachi (March 10-12) and Lahore (March 21-25 ). According to the board, the ticket price for the general enclosure has been fixed at Rs 100, a first-class ticket at Rs 200, a premium ticket at Rs 350 and VIP Enclosure ticket at Rs 500.

    NCOC allows 100 per cent crowd capacity for Australia series

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said on Tuesday that 100 per cent crowd capacity is allowed for the upcoming Australia series.

    “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is allowed to conduct Pakistan vs Australia cricket matches scheduled from March 4 to April 5, 2022 at 100% of the stadium capacity,” said the NCOC.

  • Get your seat online: PCB announces ticket availability for Pakistan-Australia Test series

    Get your seat online: PCB announces ticket availability for Pakistan-Australia Test series

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the availability of Pakistan-Australia test series tickets online from today (Friday).

    The matches will be played in several cities of Pakistan— Rawalpindi (March 4-8), Karachi (March 10-12) and Lahore (March 21-25 ).

    According to the board, the ticket price for the general enclosure has been fixed at Rs 100, a first-class ticket at Rs 200, a premium ticket at Rs 350 and VIP Enclosure ticket at Rs 500.

    In the first phase, 50 per cent of the tickets will be sold. The remaining ones will be offered for sale after the confirmation of the number of spectators from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC).

    PCB has directed that ticket holders are required to bring their Covid-19 immunisation certificate and Identity cards along with them.

    Australian test skipper Pat Cummins said his team is “comfortable” with security arrangements and excited by what lies ahead.

    The Kangaroos are due to leave over this weekend.

    Earlier this month, Australia confirmed the historic visit of its cricket team for the first time in 24 years.

  • Australia announces squad for white-ball leg of Pakistan tour, Starc, Warner, Cummins among absentees

    Australia announces squad for white-ball leg of Pakistan tour, Starc, Warner, Cummins among absentees

    Cricket Australia has announced the squad of 16 players for the white-ball leg of the historic Pakistan tour.

    Several big names including the likes of David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell are giving the ODI and T20I series a miss.

    Notably, Australia, who are set to tour Pakistan for the first time in 24 years, will play three ODIs and a one-off T20I in Pakistan, which gets underway on March 29.

    Cricket Australia won’t release their contracted players to join the early stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which is scheduled to take place in April.

    Chief selector of Australian cricket team George Bailey has said that he is confident that the team will do well in the series.

    Australia’s ODI and T20 squad:

    Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

    Power-hitting batter Matthew Wade has been excluded from the team.

    Meanwhile, Pakistani Twitterati is not satisfied with these big names who are missing the white-ball leg. Netizens claim that these five names have IPL contracts and this could be the reason for them to ditch the series.

    https://twitter.com/Billee_shawl/status/1496038105249370112?s=20&t=l-pxtIIhSl_uK46mAKjmlA
  • Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to launch two weekly flights to Australia, cutting travel time to and from the country by around one-third, The News reports.

    PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez says that if it (flights to Australia by a Pakistani carrier) happens, it would be happening for the first time.  He said that PIA has conducted a feasibility study, which concluded that it would be beneficial to the airline.

    PIA intends to operate two weekly flights from Karachi and Lahore to Sydney at first. Later, it might also include Islamabad.

    Flights might commence in late March or early April, according to the national carrier. The airline, however, has yet to receive authorisation from the Australian aviation authority.

    Direct flights would shorten a traveler’s flight duration to 12:30 hours and 13 hours, if one is going to Australia or coming to Pakistan respectively.

    Because there are no direct flights between Pakistan and Australia, passengers must travel for 34 to 35 hours with stopovers, which adds to their travel time.

    “Every airline must touch their hub before flying on to their destination,” stated Nadeem Sharif, Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP). “There may be eight-hour layovers or even overnight stays, which adds to the travel time.”

    He added that, for example, if a person travelling to Australia via Qatar Airways from Pakistan, he or she must first fly to Doha, Qatar Airways’ hub, and then be carried to Australia from there. Similarly, when a person travels from Australia to Pakistan, the same thing happens.

    PIA’s fleet is expected to grow from the current 29 to 49 by 2026, comprising 16 wide body, 27 narrow body and 6 turbo propeller aircraft. PIA’s share price increased by 1.24 percent on Tuesday to Rs4.09.

  • Australia prioritises Pakistan tour over IPL, players to miss a few matches

    Australia prioritises Pakistan tour over IPL, players to miss a few matches

    The Australian team will prioritise their national duty and several prominent players from Australia will miss out the first few matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 action due to the series against Pakistan.

    Read More – Australia announces full-strength squad for Pakistan tour

    Australian skipper Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, David Warner and others are all included in the auction. Cricket Australia (CA) laid down a strong ruling that their players were not allowed to abandon international duty for the IPL.

    Earlier, George Bailey, Australia’s chairman of selectors had said that IPL is a good enough “development opportunity” but CA would not release players when Australia was playing.

    “We do see the IPL as a really good development opportunity when it fits, but there’s obviously a huge amount of cricket with a series (in Sri Lanka) planned for immediately-post the IPL as well.”

    He later reiterated and passed a clear ruling on the matter.

    “So, it will be about working with the individuals to ensure they’re getting the preparation they need, but we certainly won’t be releasing players to the IPL while Australia are playing.”

    The Test leg of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, featuring three matches, is scheduled to end on March 25. Australia will then play a three-match ODI series in Rawalpindi, which will also host the only T20I on April 5. In an e-mail to the franchises on Wednesday, the IPL said Cricket Australia had permitted players who were part of both the Test and white-ball leg in Pakistan, to travel from April 6.

    This is a clear statement to IPL and to world cricket that Australia has refused to surrender to BCCI’s foothold in the cricketing world.

    The series is set to kickoff with the first Test match to be played on March 4 in Rawalpindi.