On Sunday, Pakistan Shaheens faced a defeat in their first match of the Top End T20 series in Darwin, Australia, losing to NT Strike by a margin of 59 runs.
NT Strike, after choosing to bat first, scored an impressive 185-5 in 20 overs, with Param Uppal leading the charge with 59 runs off 28 balls, including six fours and two sixes. Pakistan’s Aaliyan Mahmood and Arafat Minhas each managed to pick up two wickets during the innings.
In response, Pakistan Shaheens struggled and were bowled out for 126 in 18.4 overs, with captain Rohail Nazir being the top scorer, contributing 41 runs off 33 balls. Jack Wood was the standout bowler for NT Strike, securing figures of 4-28, while Tom Menzies took 3-24.
Besides NT Strike and Pakistan Shaheens, the six-team tournament also includes Australian Capitol Territory’s ACT Comets, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The tournament is being played in the T20 format, and the top two teams will advance to the final.
Following the T20 matches, Pakistan Shaheens will participate in two 50-over cricket matches against PNG and NT Strike on August 8 and 9, respectively.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) organized the Darwin tour as part of their strategy to provide more opportunities to emerging cricketers, allowing them to gain valuable experience in different conditions and against various oppositions across all formats. Recently, Pakistan Shaheens also toured Zimbabwe and are presently in Sri Lanka for the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The squad is set to compete in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 from September 19 to October 8.
The Pakistan Shaheens squad consists of Rohail Nazir (captain), Aaliyan Mahmood, Ali Asfand, Amir Hassan, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Basit Ali, Faisal Akram, Mohammad Imran Sajjad Ali, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Shawaiz Irfan, Syed Zeeshan Zameer, and Wahaj Riaz.
The upcoming matches for Pakistan Shaheens in the Top End T20 series are scheduled as follows:
Jul 31 – vs ACT Comets (T20) Aug 1 – vs Melbourne Renegades (T20) Aug 2 – vs Melbourne Stars (T20) Aug 4 – vs PNG (T20) Aug 6 – Final Aug 8 – vs PNG (50-over) Aug 9 – vs NT Strike (50-over)
