Pakistan cricketers, on Sunday, completed their first rehearsal for the bio-security matches. The players embarked on the field in their complete Test uniform. Many boundaries were scored and wickets were taken however the players refrained from celebratory high-fives or shaking hands.
Batsmen Babar Azam and Abid Ali spent a considerable amount of time in the middle while bowlers Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah and Yasir Shah bowled lengthy spells.
The batsmen completed their practice in pairs according to the guidelines created by the current head coach-cum-chief selector Misbahul Haq. They came out to bat according to their respective positions in the side.
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This was the first chance for the players to get acclimatised to the new bio-security conditions on the field. The players followed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in their entirety. The kits and bags were kept at a significant distance from each other while sanitisers were present in every corner.
The players placed their caps and sweaters outside the boundary line as opposed to handing them to the umpires, which was the norm in the pre-coronavirus days. The bowlers utilised sweat rather than saliva to shine the ball.
The two-day practice match will conclude on Monday.
Players in action on the first day
Batsmen:
Abid Ali and Shan Masood (1st pair)
Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq (2nd pair)
Fawad Alam and Sarfaraz Ahmed (3rd Pair)
Bowlers:
Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah, Mohammad Abbas and Faheem Ashraf (1st session)
Sohail Khan, Mohammad Musa, Yasir Shah and Usman Shinwari (2nd session)