Aaron Finch, Australia’s white-ball captain is eager to play in Pakistan after the Aussies confirmed the dates for its tour to Pakistan.
The tour will feature three Tests, three ODIs and one T20 fixture, with squads expected to be announced in the coming days. It is Australia’s first tour to Pakistan since 1998 when Mark Taylor’s side won the three-Test series 1-0.
Aaron Finch Can’t Wait To Go To Pakistan For The White Ball Leg
The Australian Test team will arrive in Islamabad through a chartered flight on February 27. The limited-overs players are expected to arrive in Lahore on March 24.
Before the squads’ announcement, Australia’s white-ball skipper Aaron Finch has confirmed his availability for the tour and said that he can’t wait to tour Pakistan. This will be the first time when Aaron Finch will travel to Pakistan.
While the majority of the Australian current players haven’t played in Pakistan, a few of them have landed there for the Pakistan Super League. Aaron Finch, Australia’s only T20 World Cup-winning captain(2021), will be leading the Kangaroos in 3 ODIs and 1 T20I on the tour. He has registered for the IPL 2022 auction and will have a delayed arrival in the league if he bags a bid. He went unsold in IPL 2021 auction.
“As a player, I can’t wait to go to Pakistan for the white-ball leg,” Aaron Finch said from Melbourne.
“That’s one part of the world that’s been deprived of (international) cricket for a long time now, and world cricket’s in a much better place when Pakistan’s thriving as a cricket nation,” he added.
The three Tests will be part of the ICC World Test Championship, while the ODIs are linked to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League from which the top eight sides, including hosts India, will qualify directly for the 2023 50-over World Cup.
The Australian team’s visit will end their 24 years of absence from playing in Pakistan as the last the five-time World Cup winners toured the Asian nation was back in 1998.
Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is likely to miss the Pakistan tour as he might plan to have his wedding with his fiancee Vini Raman in that same period. Ahead of the final Ashes Test, left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc said he was unsure about his availability for the Pakistan tour. Josh Hazlewood also said that many players will talk to their families and then come up with a decision.
Aaron Finch: Australia Will Have A Full-Strength Pool To Pick The Squad From In Pakistan Tour
Aaron Finch exalted Pakistan’s rich history in the game. Cricket Australia on Friday approved their national men’s team’s first tour of Pakistan in 24 years, while a day before on Thursday, Test captain Pat Cummins confirmed most players were comfortable with the tour going ahead.
“I think we’ve to do everything to make sure the game is as sustainable as it can be all around the world. We are doing the game a disservice if we don’t do that. And as far as I’m aware, we will have a full-strength pool to pick the squad from.”
It must be noted that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) yesterday announced the revised itinerary of the 2022 Australia men’s cricket team’s tour of Pakistan.
The tour will now start and end in Rawalpindi with the opening Test to be played from 4-8 March and the four white-ball matches to be played from 29 March to 5 April. The change in the first Test venue means that the second Test will be played in Karachi from 12-16 March and the third in Lahore from 21-25 March.
Revised schedule:
27 Feb – Arrival in Islamabad
4-8 Mar – 1st Test, Rawalpindi
12-16 Mar – 2nd Test, Karachi
21-25 Mar – 3rd Test, Lahore
29 Mar – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
31 Mar – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
2 April – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi
5 Apr – one-off T20I, Rawalpindi
6 Apr – Departure