Australia won the toss and chose to bat first against Pakistan in their second and last warm-up game for the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Australian captain Pat Cummins claimed that the surface looks terrific and discussed his team’s batting preparations.
“Looks like a good wicket,” Cummins observed after winning the toss. “This is a good opportunity for a couple of our batters to spend some time in the middle. “Having 50 overs and bowlers only being able to bowl 10 overs presents some challenges.”
Shadab Khan is heading Pakistan, as Babar Azam may only bat, while wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan will rest and Mohammad Haris will maintain the stumps.
“He’s fine, but Babar wanted to rest,” Shadab explained. “Babar and Rizwan are resting, but I’m the captain, and I’m going to make him [Babar] work hard [laughs].” We lost the previous game but would like to win today because winning is a habit.”
Pakistan will be eager to correct their deficiencies in this encounter after suffering a five-wicket setback in their previous warm-up match against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Australia’s last warm-up match against the Netherlands was canceled due to inclement weather.
This match is crucial for both sides since it allows them to fine-tune their strategies, analyze player performance, and adapt to the present conditions in preparation for the famous competition.
Warm-up matches for the ICC World Cup 2023 will be 50 overs per side. These matches, however, will not have ODI status because teams will be able to include all 15 members of their squad in the playing XI.
Squads:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc
