BANKSTOWN: Leg-spinner Shadab Khan claimed three scalps as Pakistan warmed up for their Twenty20 International series against Australia with a comfortable six-wicket win on Thursday against the Cricket Australia XI in Bankstown, a south west suburb of Sydney.

After Shadab took 3-30 in Pakistan’s opening fixture of the tour at Bankstown Oval, the visitors chased down their target of 135 with 13 balls to spare.

Opener Fakhar Zaman hammered 43 off 39 deliveries in the chase, while new skipper Babar Azam hit 34 from 29 balls and Harris Sohail powered to 32 from just 22 balls before being bowled by fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis (2-18).

But the power-hitting Asif Ali perished for a second-ball duck, caught behind off Dwarshuis before Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed completed the last rites as Pakistan won with 13 deliveries to spare.

Earlier in the day giant Pakistan left-arm paceman Mohammad Irfan began the tour with a wicket on the first ball of the match, producing an inswinging yorker to clean up CA XI opener Ryan Gibson.

But Shadab was easily the tourists’ best bowler after he went through the CA XI’s middle order.

The former Brisbane Heat spinner had Alex Ross (17) and Nathan McSweeney (30) both caught on the sweep and trapped Baxter Holt (16) lbw to finish with excellent figures of 3-30 and man-of-the-match award.

Chris Lynn, who led the CA XI, whacked 24 off 16 for the inexperienced hosts, with all but two of his runs coming in boundaries.

But the out-of-favour Australian right-hander was bowled by Wahab Riaz after hitting the left-arm quickie for six, denting his push for a return to the national short-form side.

Pakistan are currently the No.1 ranked side in the world in Twenty20 cricket and will start their three-match series against Australia on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Scoreboard

CRICKET AUSTRALIA XI:

R.J. Gibson b Irfan 0
J. Fraser-McGurk lbw b Imad 15
C.A. Lynn b Wahab 24
N.A. Mc Sweeney c Iftikhar b Shadab 30
A.I. Ross c Imad b Shadab 17
B.J. Holt lbw b Shadab 16
W. Sutherland not out 10
C.J. Green not out 16

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-2, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (for six wkts, 20 overs) 134

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-40, 3-42, 4-77, 5-104, 6-104.

DID NOT BAT: B.J. Dwarshuis, D. Fallins, M.W. Edwards, L. Pope.

BOWLING: Mohammad Irfan 4-1-19-1; Mohammad Amir 4-0-28-0 (1w); Imad Wasim 4-0-26-1; Wahab Riaz 4-0-28-1 (1nb, 1w); Shadab Khan 4-0-30-3.

PAKISTAN:

Babar Azam st Holt b Fallins 34
Fakhar Zaman c Gibson b Pope 43
Haris Sohail b Dwarshuis 32
Mohammad Rizwan not out 7
Asif Ali c Holt b Dwarshuis 0
Iftikhar Ahmed not out 4

EXTRAS (b-2, lb-1, w-15) 18

TOTAL (for four wkts, 17.5 overs) 138

FALL OF WKTS: 1-78, 2-111, 3-132, 4-133.

DID NOT BAT: Khushdil Shah, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan.

BOWLING: Dwarshuis 3-0-18-2 (4w); Edwards 2-0-23-0 (1w); Green 3-0-23-0 (2w); Sutherland 3.5-0-24-0 (3w); Pope 4-0-25-1 (4w); Fallins 2-0-22-1.

NOTE: 12 players per side (11 batting, 11 fielding).

RESULT: Pakistan won by six wickets.

UMPIRES: B.C. Treloar and A.K. Wilds.

MATCH REFEREE: D.R. Gilbert.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shadab Khan.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2019