Shadab, batsmen star in win over CA XI

KARACHI: Leg spinner Shadab Khan’s three-wicket haul and and solid contributions from the top three batsmen helped Pakistanis defeat Cricket Australia XI comfortably in their T20 tour game at Bankstown Oval, Sydney, on Thursday.

Pakistan bowlers put in a solid display to restrict Cricket Australia XI to 6 for 134 in their 20 overs. Mohammad Irfan struck with the first ball of the tour, a searing yorker to remove Ryan Gibson. Shadab Khan picked up 3 for 30.

Pakistan’s openers, new captain Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, laid a solid foundation for the chase by scoring 78 runs together. Chris Lynn, the Cricket Australia XI captain, was impressed. “Their fast-bowling unit they have guys who can bowl 150kph and batters are world class. They put on a clinical performance today,” he said. “Irfan has an x-factor about him, then at the other end you have Mohammad Amir and we’ve seen for a number of years how class he is. They have a left-arm spinner in Imad [Wasim] and Shadab Khan is a genius with the ball. [Australia’s] batters will have a tougher challenge.”

Pakistan left out their two young quicks Mohammad Musa and Mohammad Hasnain as well as leg-spinner Usman Qadir to give all their experienced bowlers a run before the opening T20I in Sydney on Sunday.

Irfan, who has not played a T20I for three-and-a-half years, started in fine style as he left just one stumping standing when Gibson got nowhere near the first ball of the match.

After just two runs came from the first two overs, Lynn responded with an onslaught as he crunched four fours and a six before being cleaned up by Wahab Riaz as the CA XI finished the powerplay on 2 for 40.

When Imad Wasim trapped Jake Fraser-McGurk lbw, it was 3 for 42 and the innings was threatening to unravel, but the CA XI managed to string together some small partnerships without ever breaking loose.

Shadab, who claimed Alex Ross via a top edge, added two further scalps in his final over to suggest that Qadir will be warming the bench at least at the start of the T20I series.

Pakistan’s top three looked in decent touch, with Harris Sohail striking three sixes in his 32 from 22 balls before being bowled with four runs needed as Ben Dwarshuis struck twice in three balls as he also had Asif Ali caught behind.

The CA XI leg-spinners, Daniel Fallins and Lloyd Pope, managed a wicket apiece.

Scoreboard

Cricket Australia XI won toss

Cricket Australia XI

R J Gibson b Irfan 0

J Fraser-McGurk lbw b Imad 15

*C A Lynn b Wahab 24

N A McSweeney c Iftikhar b Shadab 30

A I Ross c Imad b Shadab 17

†B J Holt lbw b Shadab 16

W Sutherland not out 10

C J Green not out 16

Extras (lb 3, nb 1, w 2) 6

Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 134

Did not bat: B J Dwarshuis, D Fallins, M W Edwards, L Pope

Fall: 1-0, 2-40, 3-42, 4-77, 5-104, 6-104

Bowling: Irfan 4-1-19-1; Amir 4-0-28-0 (w 1); Imad 4-0-26-1; Wahab 4-0-28-1 (w 1, nb 1);

Shadab 4-0-30-3

Pakistan

*Babar Azam st Holt b Fallins 34

Fakhar Zaman c Gibson b Pope 43

Haris Sohail b Dwarshuis 32

†Mohammad Rizwan not out 7

Asif Ali c Holt b Dwarshuis 0

Iftikhar Ahmed not out 4

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 14) 17

Total (4 wickets; 17.5 overs) 138

Did not bat: Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Khushdil Shah, Wahab Riaz

Fall: 1-78, 2-111, 3-132, 4-133

Bowling: Dwarshuis 3-0-18-2 (w 4); Edwards 2-0-23-0 (w 1); Green 3-0-23-0 (w 2); Sutherland 3.5-0-24-0 (w 3); Pope 4-0-25-1 (w 4); Fallins 2-0-22-1

Result: Pakistan won by 6 wickets

Man Of The Match: Shadab Khan (Pakistan)

Umpires: Ben Treloar and Tony Wilds (Australia). Match referee: Dave Gilbe (Australia).