AUS vs PAK: Mohammad Hafeez Has No Shame After Perth Drubbing, Warns Australia Ahead Of Boxing Day Test

Team director Mohammad Hafeez remains confident in the abilities of Pakistan players despite the loss in the first Test against Australia in Perth. Mohammad Hafeez expressed that the Pakistan team has the talent to defeat the Australian team in their home country.

The Shan Masood-led team suffered a crushing 360-run defeat in the series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, December 17. The visiting team failed to show resistance against Australia’s bowlers in their second innings, getting bowled out for just 89 runs.

The Pakistani team faced their 15th consecutive Test defeat in Australia, continuing their struggles in the country. The subcontinent team last registered a victory in Australia in 1995. During the recent tour in 2019/20, they experienced innings defeats in both games.

We Couldn’t Do That Execution-Wise – Mohammad Hafeez

Speaking after the first Test match, Mohammad Hafeez acknowledged tactical errors and missed opportunities that hindered their performance. Hafeez stressed the necessity of improved execution and the application of skills in the remaining two matches.

“I’ve seen during our preparation the amount of talent these guys have. There’s no doubt that they can beat Australia here in Australia. But obviously, we couldn’t do that execution-wise. The plan was there and we prepared accordingly. I still believe that as a team, Pakistan can beat Australia here in Australia, but we must execute our skills when required,” Mohammad Hafeez said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“We couldn’t execute our skills. We made plans for the team, but unfortunately, as a team, we couldn’t execute our plans. Obviously, the guys wanted to, but they never applied themselves, to be honest. As a team, we made a couple of tactical errors. There were certain situations where we could have dominated. We were prepared, but our execution wasn’t great,” he added.

Pakistan’s batting unit displayed significant promise in the first inning of the match, batting for more than 100 overs. Despite this effort, the visiting team conceded a 216-run lead to the opposition. Opener Imam Ul Haq (62) managed to reach the half-century mark.

Australia declared their second innings at 233 runs with the loss of five wickets. Usman Khawaja impressed with 90 runs, while Mitchell Marsh finished with 63 runs. Debutant Khurram Shehzad made a significant impact, claiming three wickets in the second innings.

Pakistan To Face Australia In Second Test On December 26

The upcoming second Test of the three-match series between Australia and Pakistan is set to take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, commencing on Tuesday, December 26. The Pakistan cricket team is expected to field the same starting XI for the crucial game.

On the other hand, Australia announced a 13-member squad for the Boxing Day Test match. The team made only one change from the first Test, omitting the young pacer Lance Morris. Cameron Green and Scott Boland are likely to warm the bench in the second match.

Also read: Michael Vaughan And Mohammad Hafeez Become Friends Again As They Meet In Perth During AUS vs PAK 1st Test