The Concerns Surrounding Visiting Teams’ Strategy in Pakistan
The recent trend of visiting teams from SENA countries opting to exclude key players for series in Pakistan has sparked discussions and concerns within the Pakistani cricket community. This concern was magnified after a revamped Australia side suffered a 22-run defeat in the first T20I.
The Australian team, gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup, made the decision to rest star players such as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, and Nathan Ellias for the ongoing preparatory series. The rationale provided was that these players were recovering from injuries and required additional rest ahead of the T20 World Cup commencing on February 7.
In the first T20I, Australia fielded three debutants and notably omitted skipper Mitchell Marsh, experienced allrounder Marcus Stoinis, wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglish, and preferred pacers Scott Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis. This lineup raised eyebrows in Pakistan, with many questioning the seriousness of Australia towards the series.
Renowned cricket analyst and writer, Omair Alavi, expressed his disappointment stating, “They come here already without some of their main players and for the first match they don’t play their best players in the touring squad. I see it as an insult to Pakistan cricket fans.”
Former Test captain Moin Khan highlighted that Australia’s aim to protect their players for the T20 World Cup was impacting Pakistan cricket negatively. He added, “In recent times we have seen New Zealand, South Africa, Australia come with weakened teams to Pakistan. It is as if they are fulfilling their formality to play a series.”
Former Test batter and chief selector Haroon Rasheed viewed the situation optimistically, emphasizing that Pakistan had a strong chance to win the series against Australia regardless of the team composition. He stated, “Whatever team Australia fields, Pakistan has a good opportunity to win the series against them and should not shy away from playing their best eleven.”
The decision of Australia to visit Pakistan for a series so close to the T20 World Cup without fielding their top players sparked confusion among cricket enthusiasts. Haroon Rasheed remarked, “It is a bit perplexing coming to play a three-match series so close to the World Cup and not fielding your best players when they have to play in similar conditions in the tournament.”
Notably, Australia’s visit to Pakistan marks their first tour to the country since 2022 for any format of the game. A source within the PCB noted that the congested international cricket calendar and the rise of various leagues have led teams to rest key players for crucial matches and tournaments.
“What team or players these countries send is not our concern. Being a bilateral series, the main priority for us is ensuring that commitments are fulfilled promptly,” the PCB source added.
