Pak vs Aus PM XI: ‘Freak’ storm washes out final day of practice match
The game was called off over safety concerns
Pakistan's four-day practice match against Australian Prime Minister’s XI ended a day early after a freak storm in Canberra.
According to Cricket Australia, a massive electrical storm battered the region on Friday with the winds blowing off the covers over the Manuka Oval pitch and exposing it to heavy rain.
The game was called off over safety concerns after the umpires and captains inspected the pitch on Saturday.
It must be noted that Pakistan’s bowlers could only take two wickets during the third day of the practice match on Friday.
The home side had resumed their first innings at 149-2 in reply to Pakistan’s 391-9, declared, in Canberra. At the close of play on the third day, they reached 367-4 in 141 overs.
Matt Renshaw starred with the bat and was unbeaten on 136 runs in 337 balls with the help of eight fours and a six.
Scores in brief:
Match drawn
Pakistan 391-9d, 116.2 overs (Shan Masood 201 not out, Sarfaraz Ahmed 41, Babar Azam 40, Abdullah Shafique 38; Jordan Buckingham 5-80, Mark Steketee 1-58, Nathan McAndrew 1-68, Todd Murphy 1-110)
Prime Minister’s XI 367-4, 141 overs (Matt Renshaw 136 not out, Cameron Bancroft 53, Marcus Harris 49, Cameron Green 46; Imam-ul-Haq 1-12, Faheem Ashraf 1-57, Khurram Shahzad 1-50, Abrar Ahmed 1-80)
Player of the match – Shan Masood (Pakistan)
Pakistan will now face Australia in a three-match Test series after the conclusion of the four-day game.
Whitewashed in each of their last five Test tours of Australia, optimism will be in short supply for Pakistan ahead of a three-match series starting in Perth next week, with new captain Shan Masood's task made even more difficult by a depleted bowling corps.
The last time Pakistan won a Test Down Under was in late 1995 when nearly half of the current side were not even born, and in Pat Cummins-led Australia they face the reigning world Test champions.
Pakistan's unpredictability means they can never be ruled out but their chaotic buildup to the series makes the tourists tough to back in Australia.
Masood inherited the Test captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down as all-formats skipper last month in the wake of their failure to make the semi-finals of the 50-overs World Cup in India.
Series schedule
First Test: December 14-18, Perth
Second Test: December 26-30, Melbourne
Third Test: January 3-7, Sydney
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