The Pakistan Test cricket captain has laid focus on the pace battery if the visitors want any success in the Test series against mighty Australia as the Men in Green geared up for a four-day warm-up game against a Prime Minister’s XI, scheduled to commence tomorrow in Canberra.

During the captain’s photoshoot with the warm-up game trophy, skipper Shan Masood interacted with the media on Tuesday, expressing his readiness to embrace the challenges of leadership and pledged to play a brand of cricket that would energize fans from both countries.

Shan said, “We have come to play such cricket that energizes fans from both countries, and we need to increase the speed of scoring runs.”

He stated, “If our bowlers can secure quick wickets, it will be easier for us to execute our plans, as we have several options in our bowling attack.”

Shan Masood then highlighted the significance of reverse swing in Sydney, explaining why they included Wasim Jr. Additionally, he pointed out that both Khurram Shahzad and Mir Hamza, proven performers in domestic cricket, have been included for this reason.

https://twitter.com/13hamdard/status/1731923969802989880

Furthermore, Shan revealed the opening pair for the innings, stating that Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq will take on this role. Babar Azam will bat at number four, and the team’s preference is for Sarfraz Ahmed over Mohammad Rizwan.

Shan emphasized the importance of Australian opener David Warner, acknowledging him as one of the best ambassadors of world cricket. He expressed that this series holds emotional significance for Warner and mentioned that they plan to present him with different challenges in his final series.

Shan Masood stressed that the key to success lies in the bowlers taking 20 wickets, a strategy that aligns with their game plans.

Sharing his views, Shan expressed enthusiasm for a series that is expected to showcase thrilling cricket.

Shan also highlighted six Pakistani players to keep an eye on in the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia set to commence on December 14th in Perth.

Shan expressed confidence in the versatility and capabilities of these players, emphasizing their potential to pose unique challenges to the Australian batters. "We have got six other guys with Shaheen, each posing a different kind of threat for batsmen. We have got two top first-class performers like Mir Hamza who is a left-arm bowler, he has also played some county cricket, played a couple of Test matches. We have got Khurram Shehzad who was the highest wicket-taker in our domestic season. We thought we could utilize somebody like Mohammad Wasim Jr, who can add a bit of pace if the ball does reverse. He can be handy at the SCG it will be quite handy," he added.

Expanding the array of choices available, the left-hand batter also noted two all-rounders, emphasizing their noteworthy pace and capability to make significant contributions with the bat. "Aamer Jamal is an all-rounder that we are keeping an eye on he, works with good pace hammers a good length that might be useful here and we are hoping Faheem Ashraf grows into this role and provide us something with the bat and something good with the ball so we have quite a lot of options and hopefully we will see what we bring out tomorrow and that might reflect what we might go in the Test match," he concluded.

Captains pose with the trophy 🏆

Pakistan 🆚 PM's XI match to begin tomorrow 🏏#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/tBoNMhkbJi

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 5, 2023

Meanwhile, the Green Shirts are set to face a four-day warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI tomorrow, which will take place at Manuka Oval in Canberra from Wednesday.

After the conclusion of the warm-up game, the Green Shirts will play the first Test of a three-match series against the mighty Australians, which will begin on 14 December in Perth. It will be a challenging encounter for the Pakistan team.

Pakistan Test 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 and Shaheen Shah Afridi

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

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)