Kangarooed

Having been pounded at Perth and mauled at Melbourne, Staff Pakistan was sullied at Sydney. And that completes their whitewash Down Underneath. But it surely isn’t the primary time {that a} Pakistan touring social gathering has been cleaned up by Australia. Since 1972 until date, Staff Pakistan has suffered a 3-0 rout by the hands of the Aussies for six occasions — together with as soon as on the impartial venue of the UAE. In distinction, Pakistan have simply as soon as — in a house collection in 1982 — inflicted a whitewash on Australia. That the final time Pakistan received a Check match on the land of kangaroos was approach again in 1995 speaks of their “unforgettable” efficiency.

Coming again to the present collection, Pakistan have been outclassed — kangarooed — as at all times. They misplaced the primary Check by a mammoth 360-run margin, following up with a 79-run defeat within the second Check and an eight-wicket drubbing within the third one. All of the matches completed inside 4 days in what illustrates the plight of the workforce below a brand new captain, Shan Masood, and new workforce officers, led by Director Muhammad Hafeez. Pakistan’s batting is principally in charge for the clean-sweep. Not one of the batsmen may cross the three-figure mark, with 88 by Muhammad Rizwan and 82 by Aamer Jamal being the highest two scores. Former skipper Babar Azam remained fully off-colour proper by the collection. There was a sliver lining although within the efficiency of debutant Jamal who has emerged as an excellent all-rounder. Aside from his gritty 82 off 97 studded with 9 fours and 4 sixes, he had two six-wicket hauls, certainly one of them on his debut Check.

As already written right here, the clean-sweep has not come as a shock, given the historical past of Pakistan’s performances Down Underneath. The tempo and bounce that the strips in Australia provide and the swing that the circumstances there generate have at all times proved an excessive amount of for Pakistan’s batsmen to deal with. It’s the identical previous story!

Printed in The Specific Tribune, January 7^th, 2024.

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