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Pak vs Aus: Usman Khawaja says Australia eye scoring as many runs as they can in first innings

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3 years ago

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  • “As many as you can,” Khawaja says about scoring in first innings.
  • “It will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes,” opener says.
  • Usman remained unbeaten with 127 from 266 deliveries on first day.

KARACHI: Australian batter Usman Khawaja said Saturday his side would like to score “as many [runs] as they can” during their first innings and have an upper hand on Pakistan.

Talking to journalists after the first day’s play, Khawaja termed Pakistan’s bowling tactic in the middle of the day as “negative” in the face of a hard-hitting Australian batting side.

“As many as you can,” Khawaja said while speaking to journalists via video link when he was asked how much Australia would like to post on the scoreboard during the first innings before letting Pakistan bat.

“It will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes. I think if we bat well enough tomorrow morning, we’ll have an opportunity to drive the game. I felt like Pakistan were in a perfect position last game but they just didn’t do it, they didn’t really take many opportunities to increase the run rate,” he said.

The opener said he was eyeing to take his side to 400 or 500 runs in the first innings, but noted that it was still a long shot as the current score was 251.

He mentioned that in the middle session of the first day, Pakistani spinners went a little bit “negative” to the legside, trying to slow the scoreboard.

“I don’t know if it backfired. And I think it’s pretty hard to bowl fast out there consistently. It’s very hot. So, I think spinners had to bowl in that sort of period,” he mentioned while discussing Pakistan’s strategy.

Usman remained unbeaten with 127 from 266 deliveries. Talking about his innings, the opening batter said that every century is special and it felt good when the crowd were chanting “Khawaja Khawaja”.

He also mentioned that he has relatives in Karachi and his relatives were present at the stadium when he scored the century.

“My family’s all from Karachi. I was born in Islamabad and my parents are from Karachi, so this one meant a lot too,” Usman said about his century at the National Stadium.

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Sumair Ahmad is named the 2025 Champions Trophy Director by PCB.

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2 days ago

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PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi commented on the appointment, saying, “Sumair is a highly organized professional with a wealth of administrative expertise.” He will undoubtedly give players, officials, and fans alike an amazing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, especially when combined with his unshakable love for cricket.

He continued, “The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 promises to showcase Pakistan’s ability to host world-class cricketing events, welcoming players and fans from around the globe to experience the country’s renowned hospitality and passion for the game.”

The BCCI informed the ICC earlier this month that it will not be sending a side to the event, which is set for 2025 in Pakistan during the February–March season.

After the PCB asked for clarity in its letter regarding the BCCI’s unwillingness to tour Pakistan, the ICC requested India’s justifications for not inviting Pakistan to compete for the Champions Trophy.

The broadcasters, meanwhile, reportedly pushed the ICC to make the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule available right away.

Due to the Indian government’s refusal to send a delegation to Pakistan for the event, the schedule that was supposed to be issued on November 12 was postponed.

The broadcasting rights, which were given to broadcasters for a record $3 billion until 2027, are heavily dependent on the success of the main events, especially those involving India and Pakistan, which regularly attract the largest audiences.

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India withdraws from the World Cup of Blind T20 Cricket in Pakistan

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3 days ago

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Adding to the issue surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian government refused to allow their squad to travel to Pakistan for the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, which is set to start in Lahore on November 23.

According to Indian media, India, the reigning champion, would not go to Pakistan to play in the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 since the government has not given its approval.

Lahore and Multan are set to host the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 from November 23 to December 3.

The general secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), Sailendra Yadav, recently discussed the upsetting news about the blind cricket team’s upcoming trip to Pakistan in an interview with India Today.

The team was given a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Sports Ministry, but the Ministry of External Affairs finally refused to allow them to enter the border, Yadav revealed.

Yadav stated, “We have been waiting for the government to give us permission to travel to Pakistan for the past 25 days.”

“We will not be receiving any authorization to travel to Pakistan, and we can cancel your tournament,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed us over the phone.

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Aaqib Javed designated as interim head coach for white-ball formats of Pakistan

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On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the hiring of former fast bowler Aaqib Javed as the interim head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Throughout this period, Aaqib will maintain his role as a senior member of the men’s National Selection Committee and will be allocated more responsibilities upon the completion of the eight-team tournament.

The PCB will commence the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach, with the objective of finalising the appointment before the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to take place from 19 February to 9 March.

The white-ball coaching position became available with Gary Kirsten’s departure last month, prior to the current tour of Australia.

In Kirsten’s absence, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie led the team during the tour of Australia and will now return for the forthcoming two-Test series in South Africa.

The Pakistan men’s team is set to compete in three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe from November 24 to December 5, followed by an equal number of white-ball matches in South Africa from December 10 to 22.

Prior to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI triangular series from February 8 to 14.

Aaqib Javed had considerable coaching expertise, having formerly held the position of Pakistan’s bowling coach during their triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2009. Earlier this year, he served as the bowling coach for the Sri Lanka men’s squad.

Before that, he managed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving ODI status and qualifying for the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia during his term as head coach.

Additionally, the right-arm fast bowler served as the coach of Pakistan’s Under-19 squad during their victory in the U19 World Cup in 2004.

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