Australia thumps Pakistan in Twenty20
52
DUBAI: Australia put on a clinical performance to beat Pakistan by six wickets in the one-off Twenty20 international in Dubai on Sunday.
Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took a career best (3-13) and debutant Cameron Boyce (2-10) as Australia condemned Pakistan to their fifth lowest Twenty20 international total of 96-9 in 20 overs.
Australia knocked off the target for the loss of four wickets in 14 overs with opener David Warner hitting a robust 39-ball 53 not out with four fours and three sixes.
Warner reverse-swept Sohaib Maqsood for a big six to complete the only half-century of the match in a low-scoring game, much to the disappointment of a packed Eid holiday crowd.
Pakistan did make some inroads while defending their low total, with left-arm spinner Raza Hasan (2-17) dismissing skipper Aaron Finch (five) and Steve Smith (three) in an incisive four-over spell but that was not enough.
Maxwell hit three boundaries in his 17 before he fell to Shahid Afridi but Warner and James Faulkner (seven not out) saw Australia home.
Finch, captaining the Twenty20 side for the first time, was delighted at the win. “It's really nice, the way we started with the ball set the tone for the game. We got lucky with a couple but it's really nice to win like that,” said Finch.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis blamed poor batting for his team's loss.
“I am not worried over the loss because it was a one-off match and we had a very inexperienced batting side which didn't come good,” said Waqar.
Pakistan were missing key spinners Saeed Ajmal (suspended for an illegal bowling action) and Mohammad Hafeez (injury) but they failed yet again in their batting.
Only debutant Saad Nasim (25), tail-enders Wahab Riaz (16) and Raza Hasan (13 not out) came good in an innings which only had four boundaries and no sixes.
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat on a spin-friendly pitch.
Maxwell removed opener Awais Zia (three), Umar Amin (nought) and Sohaib Maqsood (nought) to leave Pakistan reeling at 23-3.
Leg-spinner Boyce, one of four debutants for Australia, chipped in with the wickets of Ahmed Shahzad (ten) and Anwar Ali (five).
It was left to Nasim to take Pakistan past their lowest Twenty20 total of 74 -- against Australia at the same venue last year -- with an enterprising knock.
Riaz and Hasan helped Pakistan add 25 runs for the last two wickets.
The two teams now play three one-day internationals with the first match in Sharjah on Tuesday.
The other two matches are in Dubai (October 10) and Abu Dhabi (October 12).
The one-day series will be followed by two Tests.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (52) Closed
Oct 06, 2014 01:33am
Pathetic , same players , same coaches , same management , same old story !!!
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 01:46am
Pak team will come back, its normal. First one testing strategy. Second one on the ball. Watch out Aussies.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 01:46am
A big wake-up call for the unelected PCB officials and its hand-picked selection committee. This is just the beginning of a never ending story.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 01:52am
glimpse of upcoming world cup matches in Australia.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 01:59am
Although this is just T20 (read circus) cricket, but this Pak performance does give bit of a glimpse into the plight of our country's current domestic cricket/system. The system - in desperate need of a revamp, if not a complete makeover - pretty much constantly ignored by the PCBs of late. Perhaps the many vested interests are the main culprit, as in being the major hinderance in the advancement of the most popular sport in the country.
By the way this is a fairly young Australian side, mainly for the limited overs I think, and they should be relatively weaker facing spin on these UAE pitches. Though, given the opposition with flawed planning/management, it can be a fruitful outing (and workout). Just hope Pak cricket administrators, in the future at least, start to look inwards, for a change.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 02:00am
Akmal must be thrown out for good. He is useless and replace him with Sarfaraz.
Other than that it was a young team who tried their best. Also I think Wahab Riaz should come up in batting as I do see great potential in him as an all rounder.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 02:10am
Is there any good news? Absolutely not because there is no spirit of fighting. The question is not about losing the game or winning the game.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 02:45am
loosing spree started with blame game.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 02:46am
What did Shahid Afridi score?
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:10am
Beginning of the many excuses we will be seeing throughout this series
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:12am
Match looked like Pakistan street 11 vs Australia
What a shameful permormance of batting line
PaK team only good to improve other teams averages
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:16am
Match looked like Australia vs Pakistan street 11
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:19am
It was not a batting performance of professional team
Looked more from street boys
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:39am
Sir,
Why no Fawad Alam, Nasir Jamshed, Shahzaib Hasan, sarfaraz Ahmed selected in place of Umar Amin, Awais zia and other unknown players.
The selection committee headed by Moin Khan is all to destroy our cricket!!!
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 04:23am
Surely give few more chances to Umar Amin - he will come through in one off match and will cement his place in the side for 5. This way the tradition of selecting powwa playerswill continue otherwise PCB will cease to exist.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 04:52am
Well done Australia !
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 06:04am
Just learn from the mistakes and MOVE FORWARD.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 06:04am
We have no bench. Selectors need to admit it. How many chances umar Amin going to have. I watched saad nasim in cl20. He is a very ordinary player who will not succeed at international level.
I have no problem in bringing in Malik , Razzak, and younus for the World Cup . Those will be pressure games and these youngsters cannot handle that pressure
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 06:09am
Can they bat for 50 overs?
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 06:25am
So team is missing ajmal.... A quality spinner is indeed needed......
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 07:09am
even though this was a really pathetic performance, and these guys umar akmal, umar amin, zia have shown their class by the way they got out. But ultimately the odi series will show a clear picture to us!
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:02am
Sarfaraz Ahmed please,one more regular spinner for Australian team in form of Abdul Rehman or Zulfiqar Babar.Abdul Rehman in form could be able to terrorise the Australian on spinning track of UAE.Naseem Saad should be provided more opportunities.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:04am
When will we learn?Same old story.Is there anyone in the management who can put the fear of God in these pathetic Pakistani
side to bat for the team and not individual glory.If the payers do not perform they should not be allowed to play no matter what
name he has.This is how other cricket nations do.Barring four or five players,the entire team should be changed,including the captain.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:10am
Tu Chal Main Aya...
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:12am
Nothing better could have been expected when Afridi as the captain. Afridi's ego is too big to be a captain. His T20 batting average of 19 runs cannot inspire any other player.
Affridi should join the Other Captain - on the container.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:15am
@nasir jan same old results.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:19am
@nasir jan and same excuses.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:31am
@Practical - Afridi 6 Minutes. 3 Balls. 2 Runs. LBW.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:36am
Revamp PCB. It is basically corrupt and ineffective. Our cricket will keep going down so long as it is not overhauled.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:38am
@Vasi - T20 (read Circus) is the format that Pak is ranked the best -4th. In the other other two formats, Pak is ranked 6th.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:39am
I was not expectuing anything from Shahid Afridi but I am disappointed with Umer Akmal. I say get rid of both.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:00am
What we're witnessing is the slow drowning of Pakistan cricket as an internationally shunned generation grows up with little exposure to any kind of meaningful competition before they are thrown to the wolves. Lets raise our hands in fateha.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:01am
A performance like such was always on the cards. Misbah and Younis were unhappy with the timing of the domestic T20 cup, needed to send a strong message to the organizing committee that sans preparation, you cannot win matches. Alas, but the expressions on the new captains face on the telly illustrated how concerned he was at the batting collapse
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:15am
I was immensely pleased to note that the great incomparable Umar Amin, the greatest batsman of all times made a pleasing ZERO. He sure is a great talent and an ornament to the game who should be a source of pride for Pakistan. May he continue to flourish and nourish more!
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:53am
Sarfraz Ahmed showed great form and was best with the bat against Sri Lanka in test series but he was dropped first one day series against sri lanka and now dropped again. Dur to this treatment many players from Karachi does not get perm. place. if they play bad only in one series or a match they kicked out right away. Same with fawad Alam he won two matches for us and than dropped again.
In last 10 years Sarfraz played only 7 tests and I think almost same or less one days.Other hand PCB is giving unlimited chances to Umar Amin and Umar Akmal.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:56am
Ever since Zaheer Abbas became our batting coach, our team's batting has gone down the hill. I can't imagine why our batsmen can't bat if they're being coached by one of the best past batsmen in Pakistani cricket?.
There are new faces in the team who are not experienced. Yesterday i noticed players like Irfan and Raza, they were not even aware about how they were running between the wickets to score singles. Even the commentators were saying that they were running too far from the wicket and they don't know it. The bowling wasn't bad. Only if we had a bit more runs over 100 to defend. I mean i am unable to understand why can't our batsmen hit technical shots?. I know T20 is all about hitting, but they can't do that either. Maybe Pakistani team will win the second T20, but that has been the story always. Three matches series, lose by 2-1.
How are they going to be consistent enough to establish a reputation of the best cricket team before World Cup?. It's just around the corner. I mean World Cup 2015 starts 14th February, 2015, Pakistan has their first match against India on 15th February. That leaves us with four months to correct our mistakes. It's not about winning these neutral grounds series, it's about preparing for the big event - The World Cup.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 11:02am
Waqar blames batting for the loss...the real question is why does the batting keep failing again and again? Year in year out its the same old story.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 11:23am
Our batting line up survived the whole 20 overs! That is an achievement in itself. Ain't going to happen on the Australian pitches.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 12:52pm
@A Pakistani
Imagine an India-Pakistan cricket match a day after Valentine's Day....I find it amusing
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 12:58pm
No Surprises, not to worry guys, for next many many years we will play with these same OLD players. So Relax & enjoy loosing, the surprise is when you WIN any match.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 01:08pm
Umar Akmal is actually a class player..but unfortunately he gets dropped too often. I dont know why? Umar Akmal should be a regular feature in Pak team. He is of the caliber of AB Devillers and Virat Kohli
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:00pm
one off match too much youngsters,unfair to blame,what they learnt is important.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 03:14pm
something that blows my mind is when you have talented cricketer like; harris sohail, fawad alam, asad shafiq, sohaib maqsood. These guys average in 40's n 50's in first class CRICKET and they are big stage players and are future of pakistan cricket. Than why pick likes of medicore umar amin etc types of players? only one reason SIFARSHI, AND CONNECTIONS, SO SHAME ON YOU PCB!
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 05:48pm
it is always heartening to hear how mgmt downplays and look optimistic about future but ends up repeating. A day will come when no one will follow cricket. For me, basketball warms my heart.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 06:37pm
When T20 started, Pakistan forgot how to play ODIs. They started playing every ODI as a T20. People used to say T20 is a format specially created for Pakistan's short span of focus and their terperamant. Perhaps, its time to introduce the T10 format.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 07:11pm
This is just the beginning of a very bumpy road ahead for the green-shirts from now onwards till the 2015 Cricket World Cup down-under.
The domestic as well as global fans, players, sponsors, administrators, organizers, peers, pals as well as supporters of the green-shirts must be prepared for even some worst days and times to come in future than what happened last Sunday, October 05, 2014 to Shahid Afridi and party at the famous Dubai cricket stadium in the United Arab Emirates against the Australian cricket team in their solo T20 match. Welcome to the world of more bad days.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 08:26pm
High drama & expectations before the match and then the usual trend. That's team Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:15pm
Shahif Afridi must retire respectfully., this is time to go out to raise funds for his Non for Profit Organization & help needy people of Pakistan. Lets give chance to the youngsters.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:27pm
Pakistan looks unprepared for WC.
Recommend
0
Oct 06, 2014 09:52pm
@Panda Saad Nasim will join the Umar Amin club as soon as he gets some batting tips from the master coach. I would like to know what is Umar Amin connection since he is regularly selected on his betting average of 16.00 in all forms of the game.
Recommend
0
Oct 07, 2014 02:19am
To say that this was an embarrassing defeat - would be probably be the understatement of the year! Today was suppose to be the time where the debutantes & returning players would shine & Pak to start this tour on a high.
Wrong shot selection & careless batting are 2 different things, but today, both of these were the case with the batsmen! People talk about bringing in this player & dropping that player; but today was a squad that many wanted to see. Also, for those who want to certain players selected, please look at there domestic stats & see if they have performed well in int'l cricket if given any opportunities in the past. And even if Pak chased, with this sort of batting - it would have not made a difference
Even if 2 or 3 of the top four or five go on to get a 50 or an 80, that sets up the game; as you can build partnerships. Batsmen who come in can then play freely & chip in with quick 30's or 40's. But Pak batsmen are just not doing that at the moment, and that's what's really hurting the team. Grant Flower has some serous work to do with the batsmen & our batsmen need to start using there common & cricketing sense as well!
Lets just hope that the the new & returning players can come good & the regulars perform up to expectations.
Recommend
0
Oct 07, 2014 09:37am
@optimist If you compare the performance for the last few years an average of 16 is quite high for a Pakistani batsman. Sad!
Recommend
0
