Australia Dominates Perth Test, Defeating Pakistan by 360 Runs
Australia beat Pakistan by a huge 360-run margin in the Perth Test after Pakistan’s batting collapsed.
After Australia won convincingly by 360 runs against Pakistan in the Perth Test, Mohammad Hafeez, the Director of the Pakistan team, supported the senior players. This comes after the national side suffered a heavy 360-run loss in the first match of the three-match Test series against the hosts.
Speaking at a press conference in Perth, Hafeez emphasized that it’s not fair to make decisions solely based on one match’s performance.
“Having senior players doesn’t mean they’re the only ones who should perform. Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam aren’t the sole ones responsible for good performance,” he said, defending the decision to include senior players in the team.
Hafeez made these comments as the Pakistan team, in their attempt to chase a target of 450 runs, got all out for just 89 runs. Saud Shakeel scored the highest for the struggling visitors with 24 runs.
Pakistan’s unlikely bid to secure their first Test win in Australia since 1995 was thwarted by Nathon Lyon and the strong pace attack of the home team. The game concluded swiftly within four days.
Trying to reach a target of 450 for victory, the visiting team surrendered easily, with Lyon taking 2-18. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood also took three wickets each.
On the fourth day, Australia declared at 233-5 after Pakistan got out for 271 in their first innings, in reply to the hosts’ total of 487.
Recognizing the batting unit’s shortcomings, he emphasized that wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed has been performing well in recent matches and is a priority for the management in terms of team selection.
“Sarfaraz has delivered many strong performances for Pakistan. In the recent New Zealand series in Pakistan, he was excellent. Although some time has passed since then, the priority is given to the top performers from the most recent series. Unfortunately, this match didn’t go well for Sarfaraz as per our expectations,” Hafeez stated while supporting Sarfraz’s inclusion in the team.
“However, we can’t change our entire perspective after just one match. Sarfaraz is not new to these conditions; he has toured Australia, South Africa, and England before. Familiarity with these conditions doesn’t mean he will struggle to adapt. Yes, he didn’t meet expectations as a batsman and keeper in this match. But it doesn’t imply that we should doubt someone’s skills and suggest they can only perform in specific conditions,” he added.
The official also mentioned that the management has various options, and decisions should not be based solely on Sarfraz’s performance in one match.
Mohammad Rizwan has the potential to perform well for the team. However, the decision regarding his inclusion in the team will be made after considering the conditions and the pitch in Sydney.
Hafeez’s comments come as Sarfraz, aged 36, faced difficulties in batting. The right-handed batter managed to score only 3 and 4 in the two innings and was dismissed by Mitchell Starc on both occasions.
Schedule of remaining matches
2nd Test — Australia vs Pakistan — December 26-30: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
3rd Test — Australia vs Pakistan — January 3-7: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
