On Monday, leading batsman Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, and several members of the support staff visited the Australian players during their indoor practice, bringing Christmas gifts. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Pakistani cricket players brought lollipops for the kids and gifts for the other players. The touching gesture made the Australian cricket team delighted, and captain Pat Cummins could not stop complimenting the effort. The video of Usman Khawaja’s baby daughter hugging Babar became popular on social media, and it was a sweet moment. Scroll down to watch Internet Can’t Keep Calm As Khawaja’s Daughter Hugs Babar.
Internet Can’t Keep Calm As Khawaja’s Daughter Hugs Babar
Australia, which omitted veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed, chose an unchanged team for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in an attempt to win the series.
At the first Test in Perth, the hosts destroyed Shan Masood’s team by 360 runs in four days, with fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood all escaping unharmed. That implies that Scott Boland will not play, having taken 6-7 against England in 2021 at the MCG on his debut.
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Captain Cummins said to reporters, “On a rainy Christmas Day, we’re a huge fan of Scotty; I don’t think that’s a secret. He’s prepared to go in case something comes up, so I’m confident he’ll have a role eventually. The message (to Boland) is always, ‘We love what you bring; unfortunately, you missed out on this one, but don’t change; keep working hard and make sure you stay ready’.”
On the first day of competition, showers and possibly thunderstorms are predicted; however, by Wednesday afternoon, the weather is expected to clear, and Cummins expressed confidence in the outcome.
He stated, “I believe there will be enough time to complete the game. Nothing will change because of the weather, in my opinion. It appears to be a decent wicket. A good amount of grass, perhaps a little bit tougher and less green than the previous year.”
Pakistan’s fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and their two best spinners, Abrar Ahmed and Noman Ali, were both ruled out of the Melbourne match due to injuries sustained since Perth.
They selected a 12-man team, leaving out speedster Faheem Ashraf and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Mohammad Nawaz will start in goal, while Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza will compete with seasoned player Shaheen Shah Afridi and standout rookie Aamer Jamal for Shahzad’s spot in the attack.
Sajid Khan is their sole available spin option because Ahmed and Ali are out.
About Usman Khwaja
Tariq Khawaja and Fozia Tariq were Usman’s parents; he was born in Islamabad, Pakistan. At four years old, his family moved to New South Wales. When he made his debut in the 2010–11 Ashes series, he became the first Australian of Pakistani descent to play cricket for Australia. Before taking his first test, he earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation from the University of New South Wales. He is a qualified commercial and instrument-rated pilot. Before receiving a driver’s license, he obtained his basic pilot’s license. Westfields Sports High School served as his school.
