The Pakistan cricket team was awash with praise after winning the ODI series against Australia. But Pakistan, which has the 'unpredictable' tag next to its name, is difficult to predict. The Asian team was defeated by Australia in the T20 series.
The third T20 match against Australia yesterday in Hobart was a match to avoid a washout for Pakistan. Pakistan's regular captain Mohammad Rizwan did not play in this match. Pakistan, led by new captain Salman Ali Agha, made a great start but managed to accumulate 117 runs on the scoreboard. Apart from Babar Azam's 28-ball 41, the rest of the innings had nothing to say. In the run chase, Australia won by 7 wickets with 52 balls in hand. Pakistan's star left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi scored 43 runs in 3 overs.
Ahmed Shehzad, who is in the habit of getting angry when Pakistan performs poorly, did not sit back. After Pakistan's thrashing in Hobart, Shehzad wrote on his official X handle, 'This team needs to be rebuilt. The senior cricketers who are burdened by the team should be replaced by someone else. It is shameful and terrible for this team of Australia to be washed away. Chasing the target set by Pakistan, Australia won in just 11.2 overs. This is modern day cricket. Our cricketers lack energy.'
A few days ago, Rizwan became the captain of Pakistan in white ball cricket. It was because of Rizwan's slow batting (16 off 26 balls) that Pakistan could not even win the second T20I in Sydney. Although Pakistan will play a series against relatively weak Zimbabwe, Shehzad's thoughts are about the South Africa series. The Asian team will play all three editions of cricket in South Africa in December-January. Shehzad wrote, 'South Africa series is coming. Let's see whether Pakistan will take back the same failed cricketers or take young talent from domestic cricket or drop senior cricketers. Batting, bowling needs change in all departments.
The South Africa-Pakistan two-match Test series is part of the ICC Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. The first Test of the series will begin on the day of the Boxing Day Test at Centurion on December 26. The second Test will begin in Cape Town on January 3. Pakistan, who are seventh in the points table with a success rate of 33.33 percent, have no chance of playing in the final of the Test Championship. But South Africa has. The Proteas are fifth with a success rate of 54.17 percent. Australia, India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand ranked first, second, third and fourth have success rates of 62.50, 58.33, 55.56 and 54.55 respectively.
