People are worried that the rain that fell on the ground might affect the Big Bash League (BBL) match scheduled for Tuesday at that location.
The game in Canberra was called off when a storm blew the covers off the pitch.
Pakistan scored 391 runs and lost 9 wickets, and the match ended in a draw against the Prime Minister’s XI, who scored 367 for 4. Masood made 201 runs, and Buckingham took 5 wickets for 80 runs. Renshaw scored 136 runs, and Bancroft contributed 53 runs for the Prime Minister’s XI.
Pakistan finished getting ready for their three-Test series against Australia a day sooner than planned because unusual and severe weather hit Canberra.
A big electrical storm struck the area at around 8 pm on Friday. Winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) were strong enough to blow off the covers from the Manuka Oval pitch, leaving it exposed to heavy rain.
Umpires and team captains checked the pitch late Saturday morning and decided to cancel the game due to safety concerns. This confirmed that the match against Prime Minister’s XI would finish as a draw.
The visiting team’s main batsmen didn’t get additional practice in the middle before Thursday’s Test in Perth. However, the performance of the new captain, Shan Masood, and the star player, Babar Azam, seemed impressive in Canberra.
However, their group of bowlers will have a completely new lineup, as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Wasim are expected to be included after taking a rest.
If the team wants to choose a dedicated spinner, they will likely turn to 37-year-old Noman Ali because legspinner Abrar Ahmed got injured in the tour game.
Australia’s lineup for the first Test appears to be settled, but there’s a lot of talk during the PM’s XI game about who will take the place of opener David Warner once he retires after the Pakistan series.
The cancellation of the match prevented Matt Renshaw from adding to his unbeaten score of 136 and making a stronger case to the national selectors. Despite this, his patient century helped him become a contender for selection.
Players in contention, such as Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris, couldn’t convert their initial good starts into high scores. This was also the case for all-rounder Cameron Green.
The captain of PM’s XI, Nathan McSweeney, described Renshaw’s unbeaten 136 off 337 balls as a classic Test innings. He also mentioned that he’s relieved not to be the one choosing Warner’s replacement.
He shared with reporters. It was tempting to feel frustrated because some shots you expected to result in fours were only bringing in twos. So, the mental strength he showed to face as many balls as he did was impressive,”
“That certainly puts him in a good position, along with the other players who have performed well. So, best of luck to the selectors,” he added.
“All of them have been ready for Test cricket for a while. They are all high-quality players consistently scoring runs in Shield cricket. I believe there’s no wrong decision to be made,” he commented.
At Manuka Oval, umpire Donovan Koch mentioned that preparations would be necessary on a different pitch anticipated to be utilized for a Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat on Tuesday night.
“The pitch is wet, the area around it is wet, and our primary concern is, in fact, the BBL pitch, which is two strips away from the playing pitch where a game is scheduled for Tuesday night,” he explained to Fox Cricket.
“We’re opting for a careful approach. We have a Test team, and we want to avoid any injuries. Additionally, there are a few BBL players in the PM’s XI team,” he emphasized.
