The first Test match between Australia and Pakistan will start in Perth on Thursday and will be broadcasted live in Pakistan at 7:20am.
This is the initial fixture of the Benaud Qadir Trophy whose 2nd and 3rd matches will be played on December 26 and February 3 in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
Shan Masood is set to lead the national side for the first time in an international game, stepping in for Babar Azam, who was recently removed from captaincy across all three cricket formats.
The batting lineup boasts the presence of Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, and Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk). All-rounders Salman Ali Agha and Faheem Ashraf are expected to contribute significantly in the challenging Australian conditions.
The bowling department will heavily rely on the newly appointed vice-captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, along with the debutants Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad in the first Test. Notably, Pakistan has not secured a Test victory on Australian soil since 1995, having faced 26 defeats and clinched only four victories in matches against Australia. In the last five series, Pakistan has endured whitewashes.
In contrast, the Australian team is riding high on confidence, having recently surprised India in the ODI World Cup final, causing shock and sadness in the nation of over 1.4 billion.
Shan Masood’s inaugural leadership assignment is undeniably formidable, as he takes the reins of the team in Australia—a tour where legendary captains such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Misbah-ul-Haq faced significant challenges and fell short.
The dynamics of this series, both in terms of leadership transitions and the team’s performance, will be closely watched in the cricketing world.
