Pakistan’s middle-order batsman, Babar Azam, made the most of the canceled Canberra training session by reaching out to fans at Manuka Oval. The unexpected hailstorm had disrupted the Green Shirts’ practice on Sunday, but Azam, 29, brightened the day for cricket enthusiasts.
Despite the rain, Azam graciously signed bats, balls, and shirts for fans and even took time for photos with some of them. His heartfelt gesture was a warm welcome for Pakistani cricket lovers gearing up for action starting December 6, when the team faces the Australian Prime Minister XI.
The Pakistani team, under newly-appointed skipper Shan Masood, had their inaugural practice session in Canberra cut short due to the hailstorm. Following its cancellation, the players shifted to an indoor training session.
The weather forecast from BBC indicates a likelihood of light rain showers tonight in Canberra, escalating to light to moderate rain from Thursday (December 7) through Sunday (December 10).
This forecast raises concerns about potential interruptions during the first-class match between the Green Shirts and PM XI due to the rainy spell.
In other news, Australia has announced their 14-man squad for the first Test of the home series against Pakistan, led by World Cup 2023-winning skipper Pat Cummins. Pakistan has also revealed their 18-man squad, aiming for their first Test win in Australia in almost thirty years.
This tour marks Pakistan’s return for a Test series in Australia since their challenging outing in 2019 under Azhar Ali’s captaincy, where they faced tough defeats.
Australia Squad:
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Marsh
- Alex Carey
- Pat Cummins (captain)
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
- Scott Boland
- Cameron Green
- Lance Morris
Pakistan Squad:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- 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
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
Australia Tour Schedule:
- Four-day Match: PM’s XI vs Pakistan – December 6-9: Manuka Oval, Canberra
- 1st Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 14-18: Perth Stadium
- 2nd Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 26-30: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
- 3rd Test – Australia vs Pakistan – January 3-7: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)