Australia is all set to lock horns with the Pakistan team in an all-format series starting tomorrow. To mark the occasion of Australia’s first Test tour to Pakistan in 24 years, the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia introduced the Benaud-Qadir Trophy in honour of two legendary leg-spinners: Australia’s Richie Benaud and Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir.
Australia is currently in Pakistan to play their first Test series on the turf of the Asian country for the first time since 1998 when a Mark Taylor-led side toured the country to win their series 1-0 against the hosts. The Test series between the two teams commences on Friday, March 4, in Rawalpindi.
The trophy, which was unveiled on Wednesday, as stated, has been named after Australia’s Richie Benaud and Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir. Benaud, who appeared in 63 Tests, captained Australia on their first complete trip to Pakistan in 1959, winning the series 2-0. Qadir, who was among the best spinners during the 1970s and 1980s, got 45 wickets in 11 Tests against Australia, including 33 wickets in two distinct Test series in 1982 and 1988.
The two teams will engage in playing three Test matches, which will be followed by as many ODIS, and conclude on a one-off T20I game on April 5 in Rawalpindi.
About the Test series format and WTC Rankings
The three-match Test series will be part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2021-2023.
The World Test Championship’s new scoring system gives each match a total of 12 points, regardless of the duration of the series. A team receives 12 points for a win, while a tie or a draw earns them 6 and 4 points, respectively.
Going into this series, Australia and Pakistan are ranked second and third in the World Test Championship, respectively. The three-Test series offers a total of 36 points, and the WTC is now rated by percentage of points won rather than total points.
With a 4-0 win against England this summer, Australia has won 52 of a possible 60 points, giving them an 86.66 percentile, whereas Pakistan has drew 1-1 with the West Indies and beaten Bangladesh 2-0 this cycle, giving them a 75 percentile.
Benaud-Qadir trophy 2022: The captains speak
On playing the inaugural Benaud-Qadir Trophy, Australian skipper Pat Cummins said: “To be able to compete for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy for the first time is a huge honour.
“As current players, we really are standing on the shoulders of these greats of the past who helped to grow and popularize the game in years gone by, and if my team can collect that trophy at the end of this series then it really would be the perfect end to the Test part of this historic tour.”
Babar Azam also paid his respects to the greats behind the honourable trophy and said: “The game is today healthy, wealthy and strong because of such individuals and their legacy, as such, we must always recognise and acknowledge their contributions and services.
“We have our sights firmly on the Benaud-Qadir Trophy, both the sides will have to bring out their very best during this series as this promises to be a really competitive contest. This series will significantly enhance the quality of Test cricket, which cricket fans inside the venues and world-over can thoroughly enjoy.”
Australia vs Pakistan Full Squads
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood. Reserves: Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Haris
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Benaud-Qadir trophy 2022 itinerary
| MATCH | DATE | VENUE |
| 1st Test | March 4-8 | Rawalpindi |
| 2nd Test | March 12-16 | Karachi |
| 3rd Test | March 21-25 | Lahore |
| 1st ODI | March 29 | Rawalpindi |
| 2nd ODI | March 31 | Rawalpindi |
| 3rd ODI | April 2 | Rawalpindi |
| one-off T20I | April 5 | Rawalpindi |
The Test matches and the ODIs will commence from 10:30 AM IST (10 AM Pakistan Time) while the T20Is will commence from 3:30 PM IST (3 PM Pakistan Time).
Where to watch the matches?
All the matches will be available to view LIVE and on-demand on the ICC.tv, Sony Sports Network (Sony Six and Sony Six HD). The matches will be live-streamed on the Sony LIV app.
Follow MadOverCricket for the latest cricket news, cricket match updates, cricket match prediction, cricket series updates, and more!
