Australian legend and the current mentor of the Pakistani team, Matthew Hayden, indulged his players in a light-hearted activity ahead of the Asian giant’s opening game of the T20I World Cup against arch-rivals India.
The big-hitting left-handed batsman issued a challenge to pacers Mohammed Waseem and Naseem Shah, offering them 100 quid each if they successfully threw a ball over the top of the stadium.
Waseem, who undertook the challenge with confidence, thought he would be able to complete it but ultimately came up short in his attempt.
And when the Pakistani seamer couldn’t complete the task, Hayden came up with a jovial quip saying ‘It is not about the power. It is about the brain’.
Pakistan played a warm-up game against England ahead of their opening fixture in Australia and was handed a heavy defeat by the English side.
Team captain Babar Azam and swashbuckling batsman Mohammed Rizwan were rested for the game as the likes of players such as Shadab Khan, and Asif Ali made the squad for the tune-up game.
Pakistan, batting first, scored a total of 160 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Ultimately it proved to be insufficient as the Englishmen reached their target before the end of the 15th over.
Pakistan is slated to take on Indin on Sunday, the 23rd of October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in what promises to be a tough-fought contest.
Defending champions Australia will seek to retain the title they claimed in the 2021 edition of the tournament, held in the UAE, with their victory over New Zealand in the final.
The West Indies cricket team remains the most successful unit in the tournament of this format with the two titles they seized in the year 2012 and moe recently in the year 2016.
Australia have the chance to catch up to the team from the Caribbean and will be hoping to do on this occasion considering that the tournament is being held in their own backyard.
India, winners of the inaugural edition of the tournament back in the year 2007, will look to get their hands on the trophy after a long time as Rohit Sharma and co. set their sights on the coveted trophy.
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