Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: March 04, 2022 | 
| 中文
Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir in action
Pakistan cricket seems to be on the right track after years of wilderness and isolation from the world of cricket. The Australian Cricket Test Team has reached Pakistan for an all-format tour on the 27th of Feb, the same day when the final of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 was played. This is the first tour by the Aussie team of Pakistan in 24 years, with the last tour being against Aamer Sohail-led Pakistan team in October-November 1998. The Australian team is scheduled to play three Tests, three One Day Internationals and one T20 international, starting from the 4th of March at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second test match, starting on March 12, will be played in Lahore, and the third match from the 21st of March in Karachi. All the shorter format games will be played in Rawalpindi, starting from the 29th of March.
(L to R) Babar Azam and Pat Cummins
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allowed the presence of spectators, and it is hoped that the high-voltage series will be played with a full-packed stadium. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans to witness world cricket's legends such as: Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschange, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchel Starc and Nathon Lyon. Khawaja, the 35-years old Islamabad-born Australian cricketer is excited at the prospect of playing against the country of his birth, and is hoping for a supportive crowd as he will be the first Pakistan-born Australian cricketer to play here.
Islamabad-born Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja
This series has been named "Benaud-Qadir Trophy" in honor of the two legendary leg-spinners, Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir. Benaud, who died in 2015, was part of the Australian team's first test match in Pakistan in 1956, who went on to play 63 Tests for Australia and became a sports broadcaster in the latter half of his life. Qadir, who died in 2019, played 67 tests for Pakistan and took 236 wickets, of which 45 wickets were against Australia in 11 tests.
Australian team reached Pakistan 5 days before the start of the tour, and has had little time to acclimatize to the conditions. However, it would not be difficult for the Australians as the Pakistani pitches are relatively conducive for fast bowling, as in Australia. At the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the first match is scheduled, fast bowlers have taken 52 wickets as compared to 21 by spinners in the last three tests played there since 2019. The conventional worry for Australians in Asia have been the dry pitches where the ball turns from day 1, and the Aussies get trapped in the web of spin.
Steven Smith and David Warner
On paper, the Australian team looks more balanced and experienced. Only Two Australian batters, David Warner and Steven Smith, have more test runs (15,368) than the total of Pakistan's probable eleven. Australia's main four bowlers (Starc, Cummins, Lyon and Hazelwood) have 1089 wickets between them, while Pakistan's probable four bowlers (Shaheen, Naseem, Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali) have netted 143 wickets in total. Cummins' 185 wickets, although the lowest number amongst Australia's main four bowlers, outnumber the total wickets by Pakistani bowlers. However, the seasoned Australian side is still wary of the Pakistani team's young players and their potential to do wonders. "I think the one thing with the Pakistan team is that they have some young guys who come and shine straight away, so it's a new challenge," said Australian Captain, Pat Cummins.
Team Pakistan
The inexperienced Pakistani team's preparations were further daunted by injuries and a Covid case. Teams' senior pacer Hasan Ali, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Muhammad Nawaz are out of the first test due to injuries, while Harris Rauf is out of the game after testing positive for Covid. The bowling, therefore, now seems to be at the mercy of two young pacers, Shaheen Shah and Naseem Shah. Domestic veterans, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, who both made international debuts last year, will be handling the department of spin bowling. The weak link in Pakistani batting are its openers. Abdullah Shafiq, who has experience of only two tests, will be paired with either Imam ul Haq or Shan Masood, both of whom are returning to test cricket after a hiatus of a year or so. The burden and responsibility of batting will be on Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam. How Pakistan negotiates the new ball is going to be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the test series.
Team Australia
Australia has a convincing record against Pakistan in all formats of the game. In test cricket, the visiting side has won 33 matches, losing only 15 and drawing 18 against Pakistan. The last time both teams faced each other in 2019, Australia won both the test matches by an innings.
Muhammad Rizwan and Josh Hazelwood
However, when they last played in Asia (UAE), Pakistan won the series, by winning one match and drawing another. This series is important for Pakistani players as they will be facing Australia for the first time on home ground, and will be eager to perform. Australia is arriving in Pakistan after thumping their arch-rival, England, in the five-game Ashes series by 4-0. However, Pakistan with a stable middle-order batting unit and exciting fast bowlers, will be a hard nut to crack for the Aussies, especially in its home conditions. Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steven Smith, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah and Usman Khawaja are the standout players to watch for in this series.
The series against Australia is not only important for Pakistan because of the Test Championship points that are at stake, but also for its' role in bringing international cricket home. The withdrawal of New Zealand and English teams last year had severely challenged Pakistan's progress in back direction. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is playing against a top 5 ranked country at home for the first time in 13 years. Pakistani fans will be treated to watching some of the cricketing greats live. It is hoped that the “Benaud-Qadir Trophy” becomes the precursor of many such tournaments in Pakistan in the coming years.
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