Pakistan cricketers paid a visit to head coach Jason Gillespie’s renowned cricket academy in Adelaide, Australia, during their ongoing ODI series. The players, including Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, and Arafat Minhas, took a tour of the facilities at Gillespie’s academy, inspecting the training center and appreciating the high-end equipment available for use.
The national players were particularly impressed with the state-of-the-art bowling machines and training amenities, which are known for sharpening the skills of budding cricketers. Additionally, several players took the opportunity to purchase cricket gear from the academy's shop, making the visit both educational and productive.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team is currently in the middle of a three-match ODI series against Australia. The first ODI saw Australia clinch a narrow victory by just two wickets. Pakistan posted a modest total of 203 runs in 46.4 overs, struggling to build partnerships throughout the innings. Mohammad Rizwan emerged as the top scorer for Pakistan, with a resilient knock of 44 runs off 71 balls, while Naseem Shah contributed a valuable 40 runs off 39 balls to help the team reach a competitive total.
Australia, chasing 204 runs for victory, lost wickets regularly but were steadied by a composed performance from Pat Cummins, whose match-winning knock guided the hosts to a target of 204/8 in 33.3 overs. Despite Pakistan’s strong bowling performances from Haris Rauf (3 wickets) and Shaheen Afridi (2 wickets), Pakistan’s fielding and extra runs proved costly, with 21 runs conceded, including 17 wides and 4 leg byes.
The decision by Rizwan to field an all-pace attack backfired as the bowlers struggled to control extras in what was a low-scoring encounter.
With Australia now leading the series 1-0, Pakistan will be eager to bounce back in the second ODI, set to take place in Adelaide on November 8.