The Pakistan cricket team has set up camp in Canberra to gear up for their upcoming first-class match against the Australian Prime Minister XI at Manuka Oval from December 6 to 9. However, the Pakistan training session faced a hiccup as a hailstorm abruptly halted proceedings on Sunday.
Aus Squad Announced for First Test Clash with Pakistan
Newly-appointed skipper Shan Masood led the Pakistani squad in their initial practice in Canberra. Unfortunately, their plans were thwarted by the unexpected hailstorm, forcing the team’s management to call off the session prematurely.
The players had to switch gears and resort to an indoor training session instead.
Looking ahead, the weather forecast from BBC indicates the possibility of light rain showers in Canberra tonight.
Things might intensify with projections suggesting light to moderate rain from Thursday (December 7) through to Sunday (December 10). This forecast raises concerns about the potential interruption of the first-class match between Pakistan and the PM XI due to the inclement weather.
Meanwhile, Australia has unveiled their 14-man squad for the first Test of the upcoming three-match home series against Pakistan. The team, captained by World Cup 2023 winner Pat Cummins, is gearing up for the challenge.
In response, Pakistan has already announced their 18-man squad, aiming to clinch their first Test victory in Australia in almost thirty years.
This tour marks Pakistan’s return for a Test series in Australia since 2019, where they endured a challenging time under Azhar Ali’s captaincy, suffering comprehensive defeats in both games by an innings as the Green Shirts faced a daunting test Down Under.
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)
