Pakistan put forth a brilliant performance and managed to topple Australia as the Men in Green clinched the three-game ODI series 2-1. Defeating the Aussies across the first and third ODIs of the series, there was heavy discussion around the pitches in use for the series.ย
It is worth noting that Pakistan pulled out all the stops, preparing turning pitches for the three ODIs in Rawalpindi and Lahore in order to maximise their advantage and dominate Australia in the series.ย
While Pakistan did come out as the winners in the series, there has been discussion over whether or not this would hold their case in the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, as the pitches in South Africa would be more inclined towards the pacers.ย
Speaking on the same, star Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi came forward and talked about how every team uses pitches that are favourable to them in hopes of increasing their chances of victory.ย
“There are 15 months to the World Cup. Every team prepares pitches that suit them when they play in their backyard to win. We have Test series [in West Indies and England] in which some of these players will play and they can use them to prepare themselves [for the World Cup] … We played on green and bouncy pitches when we went to Australia under [Mohammad] Rizwan’s captaincy, and we won that series. You cannot offer them green wickets when they come here because we have to win,โ Afridi was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.ย
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Shaheen was excellent for Pakistan in the third ODI
Speaking of the clash between Pakistan and Australia, the two sides met at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third ODI on June 4th. The clash began with Australia coming in to bat first, and the side managed to post a meagre total of 157 runs on the board after a brilliant bowling performance by Pakistan.ย
Shaheen Afridi took three wickets, and Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan took two each, with Haris Rauf striking once. Chasing down the target, Pakistan managed to do so in 41.5 overs, winning the game by four wickets and clinching the ODI series.ย
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