UAE to play Australia in T20 on Monday
Chief selector Bukhatir feels match will be a good opportunity; Amir left out of Pakistan’s T20 squad
Fall of wickets:
1-15 (Hafeez), 2-106 (Zaman), 3-154 (Sohail), 4-160 (Azhar), 5-235 (Shafiq), 6-368 (Azam), 7-390 (Asif), 8-394 (Yasir), 9-400 (Sarfraz)
Bowling:
Starc 7-0-32-1 (1nb), Siddle 23-4-68-0, Lyon 43-8-135-4, Holland 16-3-46-0, Labuschagne 16-1-74-2, M. Marsh 13-3-39-1 (1nb), Head 2-0-4-0
Australia 2nd innings
A. Finch not out
S. Marsh b Hamza
T. Head not out
(lb2)
(for one wkt; 12 overs)
1-10 (S. Marsh).
Abbas 4-0-15-0, Hamza 3-0-19-1, Yasir 3-0-6-0, Asif 2-1-5-0
Extras: Total: Fall of wickets: Bowling:
24 4 17 2 47 ■
The UAE will play Australia in an international T20 match at Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium (Oval 1) on Monday. Zayed Abbas, Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) spokesperson, yesterday said: “We are delighted to be in a position to announce this fixture and we are extremely grateful to the ICC for their support in accrediting the Abu Dhabi Oval for T20 international cricket at such short notice. Our thanks also go out to Cricket Australia for approaching this opportunity so positively, and especially to the Pakistan Cricket Board for permitting this match during their home tour in the UAE with Australia. It has been an incredible effort from all parties to bring this match to fruition.”
The match will be a daytime fixture, starting at 2pm, with free entry to fans.
Waleed Bukhatir, ECB chief selector, was of the view that the match will provide an exceptionally good test for the UAE players.
“We need them [UAE] to be put under pressure and challenged by higher-ranked teams. To do so it is important for the full-member countries and the ICC to support and provide the Associates with such opportunities. We are extremely thankful to the ICC, Cricket Australia and Pakistan Cricket Board for supporting this match,” Bukhatir said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have left out pace bowler Mohammad Amir from their 15-man Twenty20 international squad to face Australia while uncapped left-arm quick Waqas Maqsood earned a call-up yesterday.
Amir, who was handed a five-year ban for spot-fixing in 2011 and returned to international cricket two years ago, had been omitted from the squad for the ongoing Test series due to his patchy form. “Waqas Maqsood has been drafted in the T20 squad after his recent performances in domestic cricket and playing for Pakistan ‘A’ team in the recent series [against New Zealand],” chief selector Inzamam-ulHaq said. “Similarly, Imad Wasim makes a comeback in the team.”
Pakistan and Australia will play three T20s with the first match on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. The second and third games of the series will be played in Dubai on October 26 and 28.
Kaneria admits to spot-fixing charge
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has admitted to having a role in a spot-fixing scandal in England after denying the same for the last six years. In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, Kaneria, Pakistan’s most successful Test spinner, said: “I admit that I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012. I have become strong enough to make this decision because you cannot live a life with lies.”
Kaneria was banned from all cricketing activities in 2012.