Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Monday commended the team’s performance during the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia.
Pakistan’s batting line-up was folded for a meagre 203 runs after being invited to bat first at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, the bowlers kept Pakistan in the match as they fought hard to defend the paltry total.
The hosts slipped from 113-2 to 155-7, courtesy of brilliant pace bowling by Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
But Australian captain Pat Cummins held on to his nerves and steered his side to a thrilling two-wicket victory with an unbeaten 32-run knock.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the Pakistani players for their gutsy performance despite the defeat.
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He took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and commended the performance while expressing hope that the team would make a resounding comeback in the series.
“Well done Pakistan Team for fighting a tough match against Australia! You boys gave it your all and fought in the best possible way. It’s only the first match, and we’re confident you’ll make us proud. Keep pushing,” Naqvi posted.
It’s worth noting that the second match of the series will be played on 8 November in Adelaide, while Perth will host the third ODI on 10 November.
The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.
Brisbane will host the first T20I, with the next matches scheduled for November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.
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