Pakistan vs Australia, 4th ODI: Match Preview

There is no charm left for Pakistani cricket fans in the five-match One-day International series as the Aussies humiliated their national team in the first three successive encounters to win the series with two matches remaining.

Australia recorded all three wins with big margins - first and second ODIs by eight wickets each, and the third by 80 runs whereas Pakistan failed to plunder a heavy total in the first two matches and also could not chase a not so difficult target in the third match.

There may be one point in favour of Pakistan that they are playing without their six senior players, including regular captain Sarfraz Ahmed, as theygow they are being rested to participate in the mega event of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, to be staged in England from May 30. Now one more player has been added to the list - Faheem Ashraf - who has returned home to take rest after being appeared in the first two games.

The Aussies availed the opportunity to play against a weaker team to strengthen their rank and form to be emerged as one of the World Cup favourites.

Pakistan may also become the favourites if they play correctly their cards, saved for the mega event.

However, this is on the record that Australia are much superiors than Pakistan in ODI cricket. They have been dominating with 65 wins against Pakistan's 32 in 101 ODIs so far played between the two countries.

Their captain Aaron Finch is in terrific form, scoring 359 runs in three games so far in the series with two successive centuries. He was just 10 runs short of his third consecutive century and thus failed to become the first Australian to hit three ODI hundreds in a row. Only nine players, including three Pakistanis, have achieved this feat.

Though veteran cricketer Shoaib Malik, who is leading Pakistan in the absence of Sarfraz, is in good batting form but he could not boost his boys to rise against the Aussies.

Now both teams are meeting again in the fourth ODI today (Friday) at Dubai. Let's hope Pakistan will bounce back for a consolation win in the remaining games of the series, both matches to be played in Dubai.

Squads

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik (captain), Mohammad Rizwan Imad Wasim, Saad Ali, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Usman Shinwari, Mohammad Abbas, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hasnain.

Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb, Alex Cavey, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Ashton Turner.