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Pakistan ODIs ‘challenging’ for depleted Australia, says Adam Zampa

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Leg-spinner Adam Zampa admitted a depleted Australia face a “difficult challenge” in the one-day international (ODI) series against Pakistan starting on Tuesday.

Australia won the three-match Test series 1-0 after securing a well earned 115-run victory in the third match in Lahore on Friday.

But they will miss regulars like David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell — all not in the squad for multiple reasons — in the one-day series.

To add to their woes, senior batsman Steve Smith was also ruled out of the limited-overs series with a recurrence of an elbow injury.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa admitted a depleted Australia face a “difficult challenge” in the one-day international (ODI) series against Pakistan starting on Tuesday.

Australia won the three-match Test series 1-0 after securing a well earned 115-run victory in the third match in Lahore on Friday.

But they will miss regulars like David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell — all not in the squad for multiple reasons — in the one-day series.

To add to their woes, senior batsman Steve Smith was also ruled out of the limited-overs series with a recurrence of an elbow injury.

But Zampa believes it’s an opportunity to build the squad.

“It’s going to be a difficult challenge,” Zampa said on Sunday. “The plus that comes from that, as it always does when these things happen, is you build depth.”

The new-look squad includes Sean Abbott and Ben McDermott, who have both played two ODIs, Cameron Green, who has played in one, and debutants Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Swepson. Zampa said all three-format players needed rest.

“We have seen, particularly in the last couple of years, that being a three-format player, it’s really hard sometimes. Players like Cummins, Warner and Smith, they need that break and that’s definitely understandable.

“When you have so much inexperience in one team it does make it really hard. It definitely will be a challenge and hopefully we get through as these series are very important to us.

“If we come through with a series win with inexperience then it will be a really nice feeling.”

Zampa, 29, said he feels confident of his place after getting backing from limited-over captain Aaron Finch.

“I feel like I don’t have to look over my shoulder too much with selection,” Zampa said. “When you’re younger, you naturally probably look over your shoulder, you doubt yourself a lot more.

“Aaron Finch has helped me massively with my game. He backs me in when I’m out there, and he lets me run my own show with my bowling, and has been really good with his own ideas as well.”

The remaining two matches are on Thursday and Saturday — also in Lahore.

Australia will end the tour with a single Twenty20 international, also in Lahore, on April 5.

Pakistan

Sources claim that Babar was reappointed as the cricket team’s captain.

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Reappointing Babar Azam to lead the national squad upon the call of the newly-formed selection committee was decided by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday.

Sources claim that Babar will captain the Green Shirts in the upcoming five-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand, which kicks off on April 20.

After the team’s crushing defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023, Shaheen Shah Afridi was chosen as the white-ball captain, while Shan Masood was named the red-ball captain by the previous PCB administration.

The sources claimed that Babar’s appointment as captain was suggested by the selection committee. They said he will go to the Kakul training camp as captain.

Shaheen had chosen to step down, but his close friends urged him against it and to wait for the PCB’s decision, according to individuals close to him.

After guiding the team for four years, Babar resigned as captain of the national team in all formats in November of last year. After Pakistan’s poor performance in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, where they were unable to advance to the semi-finals, he faced criticism for several months.

Although Babar was named Test and white-ball captain in 2020 and 2019, respectively, the side has neither won an Asia Cup nor an ICC championship while he has been captain.

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It looks like Pakistan will choose Babar Azam as captain once more!

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Due to Pakistan’s appalling performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the right-handed hitter resigned as captain of the team in all formats of the game. The team lost five of its nine group-stage games, preventing them from making it to the semifinals.

Sources claim that Babar Azam has been contacted by representatives of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and a meeting with him is scheduled prior to his departure for Abbottabad, where he will join his teammates for a fitness camp at the military academy Kakul.

It is important to note that during a meeting with Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the prolific batter announced his resignation.

The governing body said that Shaheen Afridi will captain the squad in the Twenty20 internationals after he tendered his resignation.

The talented player, who was named the T20I team’s captain in November, has only served as skipper for one series—five games in New Zealand—during which Pakistan lost 4-1.

His series defeat by New Zealand was followed by a terrible PSL season for the Lahore Qalandars, who managed only one victory in ten games.

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Pakistan

Australia releases the schedule for the White Ball Series versus Pakistan.

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In the summer of 2024–2025, the Pakistan Cricket Team will travel to Australia for a white-ball series. Six games in all, three ODIs and as many T20Is, will be played in the series between November 4, 2024, and November 18, 2024, at six different venues.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the start of the three-match Dettol Men’s ODI series on November 4th, according to the itinerary that was made public. Next up are matches between Australia and Pakistan in Perth on November 10 and Adelaide on November 8, respectively.

Australia and Pakistan will play three matches in the Dettol Men’s T20I Series after November 14. In 2022, Pakistan played their final Twenty20 International match on Australian soil when the men in green competed in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Cricket Australia releases the schedule for the Pakistan white ball series.

The Gabba in Brisbane will serve as the series’ launchpad. The action will next shift to Sydney Cricket Ground, where Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final in their most recent Twenty20 International there. The tour’s last destination is Hobart, where the final Twenty20 International match is scheduled for November 18.

Complete itinerary: ODI Series

November 4: Melbourne’s MCG
November 8 at Adelaide’s Oval
Perth Stadium, Perth T20I Series, November 10

November 14: Brisbane’s The Gabba
November 16: Sydney’s SCG
18 November: Hobart’s Bellerive Oval
The last time Pakistan and Australia played an ODI series there was in 2016, and the host team won.

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