The schedules for Australia and New Zealand tours to the UAE where they will play Pakistan have finally been announced. Australia will play two Tests and three T20Is in October, which will be followed by the New Zealand tour, which will feature three Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
The ODIs against Australia would be played out in spring next year, with there not being enough time to squeeze in the 50-over contests as well. This is because the UAE now features all sorts of T20 and T10 leagues and hence scheduling tours has become more complicated for the Pakistan Cricket Board than it was a couple of years ago.
In fact, there was a time when the PCB was considering moving the tours to another country, with Malaysia’s name also being thrown into the mix. But all has been sorted out now, and the tours are indeed going ahead in the UAE, as follows.
Sarfraz Ahmed
Australia tour
Sep 29-Oct 2: Warm-up match v Pakistan A, ICC Academy, Dubai
Oct 7-11: First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Oct 16-20: Second Test, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Oct 24: First T20I, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Oct 26: Second T20I, Dubai International Stadium
Oct 28: Third T20I, Dubai International Stadium
New Zealand tour
Oct 31: First T20I, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Nov 2: Second T20I, Dubai International Stadium
Nov 4: Third T20I, Dubai International Stadium
Nov 7: First ODI, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Nov 9: Second ODI, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Nov 11: Third ODI, Dubai International Stadium
Nov 16-20: First Test, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Nov 24-28: Second Test, Dubai International Stadium
Dec 3-7: Third Test, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
These tours reconfirm three months of action packed cricket in the UAE between September and December, beginning with the Asia Cup next month, where there is a mouth-watering prospect of multiple India Pakistan clashes.
New Zealand tour to follow Australia
Pakistan’s cricket team has been on a well-earned rest since the start of July after winning the T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe that featured Australia, and a 5-0 whitewash of the home side in the ODIs. The Zimbabwe tour was preceded by a successful trip to the UK, where Pakistan drew the Test series against England 1-1 and beat Scotland in the T20I series, beating Ireland in their inaugural Test.
Pakistan cricket has been traversing successes in all formats and the team would be put to test over the next few months.
The Asia Cup would be an ODI tournament this year, where Pakistan will face Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, a qualifier, along with archrivals India. Then the two strong sides from Down Under test Pakistan’s resolve cumulatively in all three formats.
Pakistan set to take on Australia
Australia and New Zealand toured the UAE in 2014. Pakistan historically whitewashed the Aussies in the two match series, with New Zealand managing a hard fought 1-1 draw in the Tests.
Ranked number one in the world, Pakistan are evidently on the up in the T20Is. Even in the ODIs, despite the mauling in New Zealand, the Champions Trophy win last year signifies that Pakistan are at the very top or thereabouts.
New Zealand tour 2014
After having stamped their authority in limited-overs cricket, Pakistan need to recreate a Test fortress in the UAE
It’s Test which have been a doubt in the post-MisYou era, but after the win at Lord’s this year, in trying English conditions, Pakistan would be more confident.
Last year round, Pakistan were clean swept by a depleted Sri Lankan side 2-0 in the Test series – Pakistan’s first ever complete series defeat in the UAE.
The team had constructed a fortress in the desert of the Emirates under Misbah-ul-Haq, and that is precisely the standard that Sarfraz Ahmed would be chasing as the Test captain, having already made a mark in limited-overs cricket.
