ISLAMABAD: After suffering two consecutive defeats at the hands of the Kangaroos, under pressure, Pakistan is flexing muscles to have some face-saving and avoid a whitewash by the Aussies as the guest side is set to play the third and final Test of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.
The Shan Masood-led side, having a number of new players, wanted to end the three-Test series on a high note as the skipper has said they had learned from their previous mistakes and would come to the ground with new passion. Pakistan have made two changes for the final Test as Saim Ayub and Sajid Khan will replace Imam and Shaheen Afridi.
Pakistan suffered a massive 360-run defeat at Perth in the first test. However, the side bounced back in the 2nd contest and provided a tough time for the home side. At one stage, when Rizwan and Salman Agha were on the crease during the final inning of the game, it seemed they would manage to take the game away from the Australians till the batting side lost the crucial wicket of Rizwan via a more highly debated review.
Another positive of the second match was the two consecutive half-centuries by the skipper, followed by some brilliant bowling from Aamir Jamal, Mir Hamza, and Shaheen. Amir Jamal, being a debutant, is still the second-highest wicket-taker of the series. He has taken 12 wickets in two games, including a five-wicket haul.
The addition of Saim Ayub as an opener could also become a good omen for the side due to his superb technique and class, who showed his brilliance a number of times both in PSL and the domestic season recently. Meanwhile, spinner Sajid Khan could also make the difference in the final test.
Mir Hamza, who is also in good touch who, grabbed six wickets in the last game, including a double-wicket maiden in Australia’s second innings.
Pakistan Skipper Shan Hopeful for the Last Test
In the pre-match press conference, Pakistan’s skipper Shah Masood said that they had learned from the mistakes they made in the first two matches and reiterated that they would not repeat these again, particularly against a quality side like Australia.
Shah further said that they would play the next game with a positive frame of mind while keeping in mind the quality cricket that they played at Melbourne, except for a small period where they made few mistakes/
About Shaheen, the skipper said that there would be no doubt about his class; however, in recent times, he has bowled the highest number of overs in world cricket, and we should keep in mind his physical and mental fitness while lowering the burden on him.
Pakistan playing Eleven for the Third Test: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Aamir Jamal, Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza
