Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri delighted as Pakistan and Australia prepare for cricket competition

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week expressed delight as Pakistan and Australia prepare for cricket competition.

“Blockbuster schedule announced as Australia host Pakistan in new WTC cycle,” he tweeted.

Earlier, Cricket Australia announced the international fixtures for their men’s and women’s teams for the 2023-24 home summer.

World Test Championship finalists Australia will kick off their home summer with a three-match Test series against Pakistan commencing in December.

After the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India at the end of this year, Australia will stay back to face the Men in Blue in a bilateral white-ball series.

The Test series against Pakistan, which will be a part of the next cycle of the World Test Championship, commences in Perth on December 14 before they head to the MCG for the traditional Boxing Day Test. The series will culminate at the SCG in the new year of 2024.

Shortly after that, Australia will host West Indies in a two-match Test series at Adelaide Oval and The Gabba, the latter of which will be the only pink-ball Test of the summer. The three-match ODI series and T20I series against the West Indies will round off the home summer for the men’s team.

The all-conquering Australia women’s team too has an action-packed schedule that includes a historic first-time-ever Test match against South Africa and a six-game white-ball series against the West Indies (three ODIs and as many T20Is), starting October 1.

In the new year, the reigning T20 and 50-over World Champions will welcome South Africa for a multi-format tour consisting of three ODIs, three T20Is and a one-off Test that will see the two teams clash in the red-ball format for the very first time.

“Cricket provides the sights and sounds of the summer and brings Australians together like no other sport and we can’t wait to welcome fans to watch world class cricket next season,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.

“We look forward to West Indies, Pakistan and South Africa visiting our shores this summer and we thank them along with all our partners, including broadcasters, venues and local governments for their support in bringing world-class cricket to fans around the country.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri is a follower of the cricket game and other sports. He has played a positive role to promote Pakistan’s sports in Australia.