The Pakistan cricket squad, under Shan Masood’s leadership, joined their Australian counterparts led by Pat Cummins at the official residence of the Australia Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on New Year’s Day.
The gathering took place at Kirribilli House in Sydney, where Albanese, Masood, and Cummins captured a moment of unity in an official photo session.
The event brought together players from both teams along with prominent figures from the cricket administration. Zaka Ashraf, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Management Committee, and Salman Naseer, the Chief Operating Officer, actively participated in the ceremony.
Additionally, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Australia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, and representatives from Cricket Australia were present.
Australia Prime Minister Albanese extended a warm welcome to both teams and praised the Pakistan team’s performance, especially in the Melbourne Test. He lauded the exemplary conduct shown by the Pakistan cricket team throughout the tour and expressed excitement about the upcoming Sydney Test, anticipating top-notch cricket.
Shan Masood, Pakistan’s team captain, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Albanese for the invitation. He highlighted the positive cricket displayed by both teams during the series and expressed confidence in Pakistan’s abilities for a strong performance in the Sydney Test.
Australia Sydney Test squad
- Pat Cummins
- Scott Boland
- Alex Carey
- Cameron Green
- Josh Hazlewood
- Travis Head
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Nathan Lyon
- Mitch Marsh
- Steve Smith
- Mitch Starc
- David Warner
Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper)
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Abdullah Shafique
- Babar Azam
- Saud Shakeel
- Salman Ali Agha
- Faheem Ashraf
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Aamir Jamal
- Khurram Shahzad
- Sajid Khan
- Abrar Ahmed