Australia vs Pakistan 2023-24

Hasan Ali reveals why Pakistan will stay away from Usman Khawaja during the Test series

Pakistan is poised to embark on a new chapter in Test cricket under the leadership of Shan Masood, their newly appointed captain. It will be Baptism by Fire as the team faces the mighty Aussies in their own backyard in a three-match Test series. Before the first Test kicks off on December 14, Pakistan will have the opportunity to acclimatize to the conditions during a tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI before the opening game in Perth.

Pakistan’s record in Australia is horrendous as they have been whitewashed several times in the past. They have never won a series on Australian shores and overcoming this hurdle will require a monumental effort and a performance that surpasses their usual standards. The last time Pakistan and Australia played a Test series was in 2022 with Australia creating history by beating Pakistan on their home turf. Before that, they engaged in a 2-game series in Australia which was a miserable one for the tourists as they suffered innings defeats in both the matches.

As one can understand, the stats and track record are completely against Masood and Co and it remains to be seen if they can punch above their weight.

Pakistan’s Khawaja sized problem

Pakistan’s veteran pacer, Hasan Ali, has revealed a tactical dilemma ahead of the upcoming tour to Australia. Due to Australian opener Usman Khawaja’s fluency in Urdu, the Pakistani players’ conversations in their native language could be overheard, potentially compromising their plans and strategies. To address this concern, Ali has said that the team will try to maintain distance from Usman Khawaja when on the field.

“Usman bhai is familiar with Urdu. After he leaked our strategies to the Australian cricket team in Karachi, we’ve become more cautious. We’ll ensure not to discuss plans in Urdu in front of him to keep our strategies confidential. We’ll move a bit farther away from him to strategise for the game,” he said.

Hasan Ali also recognized the daunting task of capturing 20 Australian wickets but expressed confidence in the Pakistani bowlers’ capabilities. He emphasized that the bowling attack possesses the necessary skill and potential to achieve this feat. “It’s not just Pakistan, all South Asian teams find it challenging to take 20 wickets on Australian tours. The pitches in Australia differ from those in other cricketing nations, and the local players’ familiarity with their conditions often poses problems for visiting squads,” he said.