Storm cuts short Pakistan warm-up ahead of Australia Tests 

A man inspects the ground after day four of the Pakistan vs Prime Minister's XI Test match was delayed due to a wet outfield in Canberra, Australia, on December 9, 2023. (Pakistan Cricket Board)
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Updated 09 December 2023
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Storm cuts short Pakistan warm-up ahead of Australia Tests 

  • The Prime Minister’s XI trailed the tourists by 24 runs at 367-4 on day three of the four-day fixture 
  • The storm blew covers off the Manuka Oval pitch, exposing it to rain, with umpires abandoning clash 

SYDNEY: Pakistan’s only warm-up match ahead of their three-Test series against Australia was cut short Saturday after a freak storm prevented further play. 

The Prime Minister’s XI trailed the tourists by 24 runs at 367-4 on day three of the four-day fixture when an electrical storm lashed Canberra late Friday. 

It blew the covers off the Manuka Oval pitch, exposing it to rain, with the umpires abandoning the clash as a draw without any further action on Saturday. 

The decision denied Australia’s Matt Renshaw the chance to build on his unbeaten 136 in the race to replace opener David Warner when he quits Test cricket. 

Pakistan had declared at 391-9 on the back of skipper Shan Masood’s 201 not out. 

The first Test starts in Perth on Thursday before moving to Melbourne and then Sydney, where 37-year-old Warner has indicated he plans to draw the curtain on his long Test career. 


Kazakhstan president to explore trade, connectivity cooperation in first state visit to Pakistan tomorrow

Updated 12 min 19 sec ago
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Kazakhstan president to explore trade, connectivity cooperation in first state visit to Pakistan tomorrow

  • Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to visit Pakistan from Feb. 3-4 with high-level delegation, says Pakistan’s foreign office
  • Kazakh president to meet Pakistani counterpart, hold talks with PM Shehbaz Sharif and address Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum

ISLAMABAD: Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will explore bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in trade, regional connectivity, logistics and other sectors when he undertakes his first state visit to the country this week, Pakistan’s foreign office said on Monday. 

Tokayev will arrive in Pakistan leading a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials from Feb. 3-4, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement. 

Tokayev is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart President Asif Ali Zardari, hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and address the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum during the visit, the foreign office said. 

“The visit will provide the two sides an important and timely opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, discuss new avenues for broadening cooperation, particularly in trade, logistics, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts, and explore collaboration at regional and international forums,” the statement said. 

The foreign office said Tokayev’s visit reflects the strengthening bonds between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, their mutual commitment to transforming historic and cultural affinities into robust cooperation, as well as their common desire for peace and progress in the region. 

Relations between Pakistan and Kazakhstan are rooted in shared Islamic heritage and a growing strategic partnership, with Pakistan offering landlocked Central Asian republics access to southern seaports for global trade. Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Kazakhstan when it gained independence in December 1991 and formally established diplomatic relations with it on Feb. 24, 1992. 

The two countries have held regular interactions over the past couple of years on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meetings and other international events. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Murat Nurtleu visited

Pakistan in September 2025 to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Islamabad. 

Islamabad and Astana engage with each other to promote business and political ties via three forums mainly, which are: Bilateral Political Consultations, the Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, and the Joint Business Council. 

According to the government of Kazakhstan, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $53.7 million in 2024. Pakistan’s main exports to Kazakhstan include citrus fruits, pharmaceutical products, garments, soap, sports equipment and gear and others.

Kazakhstan’s exports to Pakistan primarily include onions and garlic, dried leguminous vegetables, oats, buckwheat and other cereal grains, seeds and fruits of other oil-bearing crops, among others.