Six-time ODI World Cup winners Australia will face Pakistan in a white-ball series next month. The overseas assignment of the Pakistan men’s cricket team will feature three ODIs and as many T20I matches. The tour will start with the first ODI on November 4 in Melbourne, and the last T20I will be played in Hobart on November 18.
Ahead of the white-ball series against Pakistan in front of home fans, star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has named the two main threats Pakistan pose.
Speaking at the Australian Summer Festival in Melbourne ahead of the home series, Maxwell hailed Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi’s talent. He also labelled them as his side’s biggest challenges due to the dynamic duo’s unpredictable nature.
“We definitely have to keep an eye on Babar Azam; he’s an absolute superstar,” he said. Talking about the Pakistan pacer, Maxwell added, “Shaheen Afridi is a wizard with the new ball up front. Pakistan has world-class players, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
While Australia remains one of the most dominant sides in white-ball cricket, Pakistan is going through a rough patch with several disappointing results in recent times. Despite Pakistan’s poor form, Maxwell believes that anything could happen in the upcoming series.
“When you play against a team like Pakistan, their unpredictability makes them tough to compete with,” he said.
Speaking further, the Aussie all-rounder talked about how they had also endured several challenges against the Asian giants in previous campaigns.
“We’ve had challenges against Pakistan in the past. They can be dangerous at different times because you never know what to expect from them,” he added.
Australia last faced England in a five-match ODI series last month. The bilateral tour saw the Aussies get a head start on away soil, winning the first two games. With the hosts missing their white-ball captain Jos Buttler, Harry Brook led England to a 2-2 comeback.
Australia were able to close the series with a 49-run victory via the DLS method. Travis Head won both the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series awards in the final game.
Comments
0 comment