“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is “timing “it waits on the right time to act, and in the right way, and the wait has to End”
Pakistan as a nation has always kept Cricket close to its heart and soul. It is one of those things that keeps us united. Unity, is a rare word for today’s Pakistani, but cricket brings us those moments that we as a nation cherish together. Australia is scheduled to tour the nation at the start of March 2022, and this tour is holding the dreams of millions of citizens. Although we have been playing a lot of cricket at home lately, the tour still holds a lot of significance and if all goes well, it will be an eye-opener for all those nations which refused to tour us.
Tour Schedule
Australia is set to end their 24-year absence from Pakistan after a whirlwind announcement was made about the month-long tour. The tour comprises of 3 tests, 3 ODI’s and a T20I, which will be completed over a span of nearly a month.
The tour is going to kick off from 3rd March with the first test going to take place at National Stadium, Karachi. The second test will be conducted at Rawalpindi from 12th March and the third test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore from 21st March. The ODI series alongside the single T20i will be played in Lahore on 29th, 31st March, 1st and 5th April respectively.
Head-to-Head
Pakistan Team faced the Kangaroos in 65 Test Matches where they only won on 15 outings while the Aussies were victorious in 32 matches, 18 were drawn. Out of 104 ODI matches, Aussies won 68 while Green Shirts came out on top in 32 matches, 3 matches ended without any result. There were 24 T20I’s between both the teams, Kangaroos won in 10 while Shaheens won in 12, 2 were result-less.
Australia’s Verdict
Cricket Australia has been positive over the developments that have taken place over the course of six months and they have stated on many occasions that they are extremely comfortable over touring the country. Their security delegation also visited Pakistan last year in December, and visited all the venues of the series. They were briefed by the PCB and security agencies of Pakistan and were clearly satisfied by the arrangements.
Australian Players Concerns and Statements
The Finch players were concerned and hesitated over touring the country when the schedule was announced but as the developments took place, their doubts were cleared. The Players Association of Australia has also cleared its stance over the tour that “they will be comfortable going over there”
Pat Cummins has been constructively positive towards the whole process and has confirmed through many platforms that “I think we’ll be close to the full-strength squad”. He further said: “There is still a little bit of work to do. We have received a lot of information and it has been great. All the pre-tour security and biosecurity work has been done and it’s been fantastic”.
Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) chief, has assured the country’s cricketers that he would travel to the cricket-loving nation with the squad if the tour gets the go-ahead.
Greenberg said: “I’ve made an assurance to the players that they won’t go alone,” and added “If they’re going to Pakistan, I’ll be going with them and I think that’s important. It’s an opportunity to show the players that we’re in this together.”
CA Chief also gave a statement over the tour:
“Pakistan is a formidable opposition with an exceptionally talented team, as evidenced by their dynamic performances in the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. We thank the PCB for their considerable efforts in planning for the tour and look forward to continuing to work closely over the coming months to finalize the necessary operations, logistics, security and Covid-19 protocols.”
Change of Venues
CA recently proposed that the tests should be conducted at the same venue, that is Karachi. They were hesitant over the travel process and all those security reasons, but PCB denied the request and assured them that all the arrangements would go smoothly and no hinderance will occur whatsoever.
PCB’s Stance
Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja has been standing firm to hold this series and has advised to take all possible actions to ensure that the tour would go as planned. After the tour was announced, Ramiz Raja welcomed the Australian Cricket team and had a message:
“I am delighted to welcome Australia to Pakistan. From a personal point of view, it pleases me no end that we’ll be engaged in a three-Test match series, connoisseurs delight”.
He further added: “Australia are one of the high-performing sides and them playing in our backyard for the first time after a gap of 24 years will be a special treat for the fans. Likewise, it will be a great opportunity for the Australia cricketers to not only play at our iconic venues but also feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore.”
Impact on Pakistan Cricket
This series is being deemed as the most important for the prospects of International Cricket revival in Pakistan. Although we have been hosting quite a few nations lately, but hosting Australia will be different and challenging as we have seen in the past six months. But surely, there is ease after difficulties, and PCB has a strong belief on that. The green Cricket is going to get a new identity, if the tour is pulled off.
Fans are also excited over the fact that a big team like Aussies is going to tour Pakistan, and if all goes well, they are definitely going to see a lot more cricket at home. As green shirts has been handed over the rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy, this tour is crucial from that aspect too. It will ease the nerves of all the teams which will be here for the tournament in 2025. Not only that, Asia Cup is on its way too, so this tour has gained a lot more value and importance to it.
Conclusion:
Every wait has to end, 24 years are long enough. Australian Players will be heroes for all the Pakistani Nation and will gain a lot of respect from this tour as they will be a part for a noble cause. Hence, when we summarize all of that, we can say that this tour will be the most important in men in green’s history.
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