Connect with us

Sports

David Warner hits century as Australia reach 210-2 at tea against Pakistan

Published

on

  • “We play pretty well here, have a good record,” says Cummins.
  • Pakistan captain Shan Masood included two debutants in his side.
  • Pakistan have performed poorly in Australia, losing 14 Tests.

PERTH: Veteran opener David Warner hammered an unbeaten century to silence critics and steer Australia to 210-2 at tea against Pakistan in the first Test at Perth.

At the break, the 37-year-old was on 111 and Steve Smith not out 21.

But Pakistan’s bowlers did earn some reward for their toil in searing heat by removing Usman Khawaja soon after lunch for 41, then Marnus Labuschagne for 16.

The hosts won the toss and opted to bat first, with Warner padding up under pressure to score runs with an emotional goodbye from the five-day game at the third Test in Sydney in front of his hometown fans his stated goal.

In the lead-up, former paceman Mitchell Johnson questioned whether Warner deserved a hero’s farewell given his recent poor red-ball form and involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

The left-hander, in his 110th Test, responded in typical swashbuckling fashion, crashing 15 fours and one giant six in his 149-ball knock.

He took a confident single off his first ball in an opening over from Shaheen Shah Afridi that leaked 14 runs and never looked back.

After living dangerously on a pitch offering bounce, he settled down to bring up his half-century off just 41 balls with a boundary from Faheem Ashraf.

His strike rate slowed after lunch as he moved towards a 26th Test ton, reaching three figures from 125 balls with an uppercut boundary off debutant Aamer Jamal, celebrating with his trademark leap and soaking in the applause.

Khawaja, wearing a black armband in solidarity with the people of Gaza, was happy to play second fiddle.

He had a massive let-off on 25 when dropped by Abdullah Shafique, who fumbled his catch off a mis-hit pull shot.

But he departed when Pakistan’s bowlers picked up their game after lunch, caught behind by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed off Afridi’s bowling.

Labuschagne looked in good nick, racing to 16 when he was beaten by a ball pitched up by Ashraf and given out lbw. He reviewed the decision, but it was hitting a flush on the leg stump.

Smith clattered a four through midwicket off only his second ball to signal his intent and was untroubled.

Pakistan have never won a Test series in Australia and have failed to win a Test in the country since 1995.

They were beaten by innings in both matches in Australia four years ago when Warner ominously scored 154 and 335 not out.

Australia made just one change from their last Test, against England in July, with spinner Nathan Lyon fit again and back in the side.

Pacemen Jamal and Khurram Shahzad made their debuts for Pakistan under new captain Shan Masood.

Squads

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Shan Masood (capt), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad.

Latest News

Champions Trophy 2025 will remain in Pakistan, the CEO of the ICC has said.

Published

on

By

Dismissing any rumors that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be moved to a different nation, International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Geoff Allardice has stated that the tournament will take place in Pakistan as planned.

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is slated to take place in Pakistan in February and March. Nevertheless, India’s participation in the competition is up in the air since the BCCI is still awaiting government sanction to travel there.

Recall that there were rumors in Indian media, backed by the BCCI, that the Indian team would not be traveling to Pakistan for the forthcoming ICC match.

Additional reports stated that the board had formally suggested Sri Lanka and Dubai as possible locations for India’s match.

According to Geoff Allardice, who denied the reports, no team has expressed reluctance to play in the competition.

Allardice voiced her appreciation over Pakistan’s hosting of the Women’s T20 World Cup during a press conference in Dubai. He went on to emphasize that Pakistan is the ICC’s choice to host the Champions Trophy.

Remarkably, Pakistan is preparing three stadiums for the Champions Trophy in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.

The PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has revealed that the stadium modifications will be finished prior to the start of the Champions Trophy.

Gaddafi Stadium’s basement will be built by September 30. It will take three weeks to finish each floor. A steel framework would make up the front building. By December 31, the primary structure of Gaddafi Stadium will be finished, according to Naqvi.

“The seats will be erected in the stadium prior to the Champions Trophy; Indi Stadium will need to be fully destroyed and rebuilt.

“The Champions Trophy will take place before the renovations at Karachi’s [National Stadium] are finished,” he said.

Continue Reading

Latest News

In the possible return of the Afro-Asian Cup, players from Pakistan and India might go together.

Published

on

By

Pakistan and India were among the best sub-continent nations that competed in the Afro-Asia Cup, which was contested in 2005 and 2007. The Africa XI was comprised of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. The Asia XI was comprised of two teams.

Due to problems with broadcasting and political hurdles, the event was canceled after only two editions, despite the fact that it received a great deal of attention and appreciation from cricket lovers all over the world.

The negotiations regarding the resuscitation of the Afro-Asia Cup sprang to life a few days after Jay Shah was appointed to the position of Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC!).

The competition was played in the format of a Twenty20 match, but the next edition of the tournament might be played in the format of a Twenty20 match.

Samod Damodar, the chairman of the African Cricket Association (ACA), presented conjecture over the possibility that the idea will actually be adopted. In addition, he provided an update on the situation.

The fact that the Afro-Asia Cup did not take place is something that has left me feeling extremely upset. Despite the fact that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) did not receive sufficient momentum, it is currently being reconsidered. To a large extent, I believe that it was a lack of comprehension and a refusal to support the idea. It is something that our members deeply lament. It was necessary for Africa to be the driving force behind it,” Damodar was quoted as saying in a story published by Forbes.

With the belief that the Afro-Asia Cup has the potential to alleviate political tensions, Damodar has great hopes for the competition.

It is possible that these matches will break down political boundaries that are currently in place. Instead than driving a wedge between people, cricket can help establish bridges between them. In my opinion, I do not feel that players are hostile toward one another; therefore, I am confident that they would be willing to participate in this activity. The fact that Mahinda is now a member of the International Cricket Council board and Jay Shah is the current president of the ICC may give this cause a little bit more traction. When it comes to making this happen, both of them have always been proactive in their efforts,” he went on to say.

Claims concerning the restoration of the Afro-Asia Cup also emerged in June 2022, claiming that the competition would make its return in the middle of 2023. For those who are unaware, these claims suggested that the tournament would return.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Champions Trophy: Pakistan will be visited by an ICC delegation next week

Published

on

By

Pakistan, who are also the reigning champions, will host the 50-over competition in February and March of next year.

The heads and representatives of various ICC departments are part of the visiting delegation.

Along with these topics, the inspection team will talk about the tournament’s schedule, practice matches, locations, and ticketing.

The group will receive an update on the global premium tournament’s upgraded venues from PCB executives.

Within two days, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will receive the schedule from the ICC, according to sources.

During its inspection, the ICC will visit all three of the tournament’s locations in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi and examine the arrangements for the next events.

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi, and Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium are the three sites that will stage the enormous show. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allotted Rs 12.80 billion earlier this year for their renovations.

In the upcoming year, the ICC Champions Trophy will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the National Stadium in Karachi, from February 19 to March 9.

The countries that make up Group B are Australia, England, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.

Continue Reading

Trending