CANBERRA, 26 January 2005 — Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana completed half-centuries to steer Pakistan to a five-wicket win over the Australian Prime Minister’s XI in a limited-overs tour match in Canberra yesterday.
Younis finished 62 not out and Youhana made 50 as Pakistan cruised to their winning target of 192 with more than seven overs to spare.
Shoaib Malik captured three wickets for Pakistan as the Prime Minister’s XI collapsed to 191 all out in the 47th over despite making a great start. Chris Rogers top scored with 46 while Luke Ronchi belted an extraordinary 40 off only 13 balls before the wickets started to tumble.
Pakistan are second behind Australia in a triangular international series. Their next match is against West Indies in Adelaide on Friday.
Pakistan Officials Happy With Mohali Test Venue
In Chandigarh, India, Pakistani officials, in India to assess match venues ahead of next month’s Test tour, have said they are satisfied with security arrangements in the northern city of Mohali. Zakir Khan, a general manager of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and Sohail Khan, Lahore’s superintendent of police, arrived in India on Monday for a five-day visit.
“Mohali has a fine stadium and we have no concerns,” Zakir Khan told reporters yesterday after they inspected the ground.
However, the main bone of contention is expected to be the Test venue in Ahmedabad, the major city in the western state of Gujarat. The state was rocked by India’s worst communal riots for a decade in 2002.
The Pakistan squad is scheduled to arrive on Feb. 25 for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. The teams have not played a Test series in India since 1999 because of political tensions between the two countries. India embarked on their first Test tour of Pakistan for 14 years last March after a thaw in relations.
Murali Among Sri Lankan Probables for Kiwi Test Tour
In Colombo, Sri Lankan cricket selectors yesterday named ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan among 24 probables for a rescheduled two-Test series in New Zealand in April. Muralitharan, 32, was out of Test cricket after playing the opening match against South Africa at home in August because of a shoulder injury. He then underwent surgery in Australia.
Sri Lanka’s scheduled tour of New Zealand was cancelled last month after the tsunami disaster which killed more than 30,000 in the island country.
