While Pakistan team will be devising a strategy to dismiss Usman Khawaja as early as possible, Shan Masood & Co would also refrain from speaking Urdu in front of the Aussie opening batter. The southpaw, who was born in Islamabad, is well-versed in Urdu.
Khawaja was the one who also leaked the Pakistani team’s secret strategy during the PAK vs AUS Test series earlier in 2023. Pakistani pacer Hasan Ali said he and the rest of the players will avoid speaking Urdu.
“Usman bhai is familiar with Urdu,” Hasan told Cricket Australia in an interview ahead of the three-Test series starting December 14. The Pakistan squad has reached Canberra, where the team will play a 4-day match against Australia PM XI.
“After he leaked our strategies to the Australia cricket team in Karachi, we’ve become more cautious. We’ll ensure not to discuss plans in Urdu in front of him to keep our strategies confidential. We’ll move a bit farther away from him to strategize for the game.”
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Usman Khawaja: Born Pakistani
For the unversed, Khawaja lived in Islamabad for only four years. Later, his family shifted to Australia, and Khawaja fell in love with cricket. He represented Queensland before making his Australia debut in 2010.
The Aussie opener was the top performer during earlier Test series between these two teams in 2023. Pakistan will be hoping this time they try to keep Khawaja quiet with bat in hand.
Speaking about the Pakistan team, they are yet to win a Test series Down Under. It’s been more than 30 years that the Men in Green have been waiting to make history. Hasan spoke about the tough conditions his team would encounter in Australia but said the team is ready for the challenge.
“It’s not just Pakistan, all South Asian teams find it challenging to take 20 wickets on Australian tours. The pitches in Australia differ from those in other cricketing nations, and the local players’ familiarity with their conditions often poses problems for visiting squads,” said the pacer.
The first of three Tests will commence from December 14-18 in Perth Stadium.
Pakistan squad for Australia Tests
Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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