This was not part of the original schedule, but concerns over a lack of match practice led to Pakistan requesting an extra game
Daniel Rasool
Pakistan will play a two-day practice game against Victoria XI before the second Test. The match will be played at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on December 22 and 23.
This game was not part of the original schedule, but concerns about the lack of match practice led to Pakistan asking Cricket Australia for a match. The match was confirmed shortly before the visitors slumped to a 360-run defeat on day four of the first Test in Perth.
Unlike the four-day match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, this will not be a first-class game, which allows Pakistan to test more than 11 players.
“That [the Victoria tour game] it was something extra we added to the schedule because it wasn’t there earlier,” Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez said after the Test. “We wanted to have more practice than just a practice game. This was first class so we couldn’t give all the bowlers a chance to get a feel. That’s why we wanted to have this practice game so more guys could get the feel of a match scenario. we felt it would work well. We will definitely plan accordingly. All players should use these two days to get more familiar with the situations and conditions.”
The Victoria XI will feature Marcus Harris, one of the leading contenders to replace David Warner following his retirement at the end of this series, as well as 25-year-old Will Pucovski. Peter Handscomb will lead the squad, which has been assembled from players not currently in the Big Bash League.
The tour arrangements have been a point of contention for Pakistan, with Hafeez criticizing the pitch for Pakistan’s match against the Prime Minister’s XI. The weather conditions were mainly responsible for the calm nature of this groove, but if Pakistan are expecting a livelier surface at the Junction Oval, they will be disappointed. The Oval is one of the flattest wickets in Australia, with conditions highly unlikely to replicate anything the MCG will produce.
Hafeez was still optimistic. “The circumstances we are dealing with fall within the purview of Cricket Australia,” he said. “We have asked for similar conditions to the Test match so that our players can benefit from these conditions. This game was not part of the tour but I wanted our players to have match-style practice. We are grateful to CA for accepting our request and providing this facility. We will try to learn from this in the most efficient way possible.”
The second test starts on December 26.
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000