Australia is gearing up to host Pakistan in a three-match Test series starting December 14th, with the first Test at Perth Stadium and the second at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day. The series concludes with the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 3. Notably, Pakistan has never won a Test series in Australia, adding extra motivation for both teams. The series promises intense competition as they aim to showcase their best performances, making it a highly anticipated cricketing event.
In preparation for the upcoming Test series against Australia, newly appointed Pakistan captain Shan Masood emphasized the need for his team to adapt to the diverse conditions. The first Test, scheduled for December 14 at Optus Stadium in Perth, marks the beginning of Pakistan’s new Test era under Masood’s leadership. This change follows Babar Azam’s resignation from captaincy across all formats due to Pakistan’s subpar ODI World Cup performance.
Pakistan’s starting XI for the Perth Test might include debutants Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad. The Pakistan batter also underlined the importance of quick adaptation to the varying conditions across the three series venues. This Test series also marks Pakistan’s initiation into the third cycle of the World Test Championships.
“As a team, we talked about adaptability. Whether we play in Canberra, whether we play in Karachi, whether we play in Perth, how quickly guys can adapt to different conditions is more important to me. Good cricketers are always adaptable. They adapt very quickly to conditions. And it’ll be the same because when we talk about these three venues – Perth, the MCG and the SCG, all offer something different, and the challenge for our guys would be to adapt as quickly as possible,” said Masood.
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Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood's press conference at Perth Stadium.#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/xrjGDdwPge
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It would mean the world to us: Shan Masood
The newly appointed skipper also expressed the significance of a Test series triumph against Australia, Shan Masood emphasized that such a victory would hold immense value for the team. He sees this challenge as a perfect opportunity to assess and measure their standing as a cohesive unit. Pakistan has historically struggled against Australia in the Test series on Australian soil and has not secured a series win since 1995. Masood’s comments highlight the team’s eagerness to overcome this longstanding hurdle and make a statement by achieving success in the upcoming series.
“It would mean the world to us. When you talk about the bigger picture, there’s the World Test Championship. So, every test match, every single point counts. It’s a two-year cycle, so we’ve got a lot of other test matches to play as well. So, Australia is the perfect place to start perfect place to gauge where we are as a team,” Masood concluded.
