Pakistan win toss, elect to field against Australia
LONDON: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to field against Australia in the first Test at Lord”s here on Tuesday.
Pakistan gave debuts to 25-year-old right-handed batsman Azhar Ali and 20-year-old left-handed batsman Umar Amin.
Australia gave debuts to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, in after Brad Haddin was ruled out of the tour with an elbow injury, and leg-spinner Steven Smith.
The inclusion of Paine, alongside captain and star batsman Ponting and seamer Ben Hilfenhaus meant Tasmania had three players in an Australia Test side for the first time.
Rain and overcast conditions, which should suit Pakistan”s seam attack, delayed the scheduled start of this match by at least 90 minutes, with play now due to get underway at 12pm local time (1100GMT). The match was leg-spinning all-rounder Afridi”s first Test in four years.
This was the first of a two-Test series being played in England because top-class international cricket in Pakistan was effectively suspended following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March last year.
It also represented the first time a ”neutral” Test had been played in England since the 1912 triangular tournament where Australia and South Africa, along with England, made up the competing teams.
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (capt), Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria
Australia: Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Tim Paine (wkt), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger
Pakistan Vs Australia First Test From Saturday
MELBOURNE: Pakistan Vs Australia First Test From Saturday, Pakistan cricket team has reached Melbourne for the first Test against Australia after playing a warm up against Tasmania in Hobart.
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The visitors will start net practice for the opening Test of the three matches Test matches series against Australia.
The first Pakistan-Australia Test will start at Melbourne on Saturday.
Pakistan Vs Australia First Test From Saturday was first posted on December 22, 2009 at 11:34 am.
Waqar Younis Named Pakistan Bowling Coach
LAHORE: Pakistan former captain and legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis has been appointed as the bowling and fielding coach for the upcoming Pakistan-Australia Test and ODI series.
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Waqar in 2007 had resigned as Pakistan bowling coach in protest at only being asked on the South Africa tour for the Tests and not the one-dayers and announced his decision hours before he was due to leave for South Africa, where Pakistan were to play three Tests and five one-dayers.
Pakistan national coach Intikhab Alam recently expressed his disappointment with the fielding and batting departments – in which he called for an improvement.
Waqar Younis Named Pakistan Bowling Coach was first posted on December 9, 2009 at 4:49 pm.
Waqar Younis Named Pakistan Bowling Coach
LAHORE: Pakistan former captain and legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis has been appointed as the bowling and fielding coach for the upcoming Pakistan-Australia Test and ODI series.
Watch Live Cricket
Waqar in 2007 had resigned as Pakistan bowling coach in protest at only being asked on the South Africa tour for the Tests and not the one-dayers and announced his decision hours before he was due to leave for South Africa, where Pakistan were to play three Tests and five one-dayers.
Pakistan national coach Intikhab Alam recently expressed his disappointment with the fielding and batting departments – in which he called for an improvement.
Waqar Younis Named Pakistan Bowling Coach was first posted on December 9, 2009 at 4:49 pm.
