DUBAI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and elected to bat first in the first test of a two-match series against Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The hosts handed a debut to offspinner Bilal Asif, with 26-test seamer Wahab Riaz selected ahead of Mir Hamza.
Australia named three debutants with batsmen Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne coming into the team for visitors’ first test since the ball-tampering incident at Newlands, South Africa in March that saw captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft receive lengthy bans for their part in trying to change the condition of the ball with a piece of sandpaper.
Australia has lost four of its last five test series in Asia, including a 2-0 series defeat on its last tour of the UAE to play Pakistan in 2014.
TEAMS
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Abbas
Australia: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine (captain), Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Jon Holland, Nathan Lyon
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth, England.
Third Umpire: Sundaram Ravi, India; Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.
Pakistan wins toss, bat first against Australia in 1st test
Pakistan wins toss, bat first against Australia in 1st test
- Pakistan handed a debut to offspinner Bilal Asif, with 26-test seamer Wahab Riaz selected ahead of Mir Hamza
- Australia named three debutants with batsmen Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne coming into the team for visitors’ first test since the ball-tampering incident at Newlands
Home track advantage for Ameerat Alzamaan in the world’s richest race
- 2025 Fillies Mile winner looking to take her chance on Saudi Cup weekend
RIYADH: Saudi Arabian trainer, Sami Alharabi believes home track advantage could play to the strengths of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s runner, Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) in the Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.
The brilliant Red Stable filly, a daughter of Ghaiyyath, has been a local success story winning six of her eight career starts including the 1,000 Guineas and then the Fillies Mile on The Saudi Cup undercard 12 months ago.
“I have been very pleased with her condition and believe she is in much better shape now than she was previously, showing clear improvement,” said Alharabi.
“My confidence comes from the noticeable development I see in her daily training, which gives me strong belief in her progression.
“It is very exciting to have a runner in The Saudi Cup and I place my trust in God for the filly to deliver a positive result.”
The four-year-old was supplemented into the Saudi Cup after missing out on an automatic entry when finding only the reopposing Mhally (GB) too strong in the G3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup last month.
“I thought her performance in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was very good. It was a successful test for her, especially competing against seasoned and high-quality horses,” added the trainer.
She will race over 1,800 meters on Saturday, and Alharabi believes she will relish the longer distance: “The filly is versatile but I believe her ideal trip is between 1,800 meters and 2,000 meters, which suits her better than 1,600 meters.
“The Japanese horse, Forever Young, is the strongest and most dangerous rival and I anticipate a highly-competitive race, but the filly’s proven record at the track and her liking for the surface could work to her advantage and she will give a good account of herself.”
A jockey has yet to be selected, with Alharabi hoping for gates six or seven at Wednesday’s draw ceremony.
