Viral: PCB brings hilarious ad to welcome Australia tour to Pakistan

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has brought a hilarious ad to welcome the visiting Australia in Pakistan that has gone viral on social media.

The ad has so far garnered 413k views, over 32k reactions and thousands of comments.

It showed the hospitality of Pakistanis in their own style for the Australian cricketers upon their arrival after 24 years in which people are speaking English in the Aussies accent mixed with native language. Here you can watch:

Australia are currently in Lahore to play the third Test of a three-match series, starting March 21. The first two Tests – in Rawalpindi and Karachi – were drawn. It is the first Australia tour to the country since 1998.

WHITE-BALL MATCHES SHIFTED

Pakistan and Australia cricket boards have mutually agreed to shift white-ball matches from Rawalpindi to Lahore on the dates as announced previously. The decision was made on Saturday morning following discussions between the two boards.

This means the headquarters of Pakistan cricket will host the March 29, 31 and April 2 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), as well as the one-off Twenty20 International (T20I) on April 5 at the back of the third Test, which commences on 21 March.

The 50-over matches will start at 1500 local time, while the first ball in the 20-over match will be bowled at 2030 local time.

Australia’s white-ball players, as originally planned, will arrive in Lahore on March 24 and after one-day room isolation, will integrate with other members of their side. Pakistan’s white-ball players are scheduled to assemble on March 22 and will resume training on March 25.

ODI, T20I SQUADS

Uncapped Asif Afridi and Mohammad Haris have been named in Pakistan squads for the three ODIs and one-off T20I against Australia.

Left-arm spinner Asif and wicketkeeper/batter Haris have earned the selectors’ nod as a result of their impressive performances in the domestic circuit as the selectors have continued to provide opportunities to high-performing players as part of their strategy to increase the pool of top-class cricketers and develop a formidable bench-strength.

While the selectors have picked up 20 players for the ODIs, which are being played as part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League; they have chosen 17 players for the only T20I, leaving out Abdullah Shafique, Imam-Ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel.

ODI squad

1. Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab)
2. Shadab Khan (vice-captain) (Northern)
3. Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab)
4. Asif Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
5. Asif Ali (Northern)
6. Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
7. Haider Ali (Northern)
8. Haris Rauf (Northern)
9. Hasan Ali (Central Punjab)
10. Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
11. Imam-Ul-Haq (Balochistan)
12. Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab)
13. Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
14. Mohammad Nawaz (Northern)
15. Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
16. Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
17. Saud Shakeel (Sindh)
18. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
19. Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh)
20. Usman Qadir (Central Punjab)

T20I squad

1. Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab)
2. Shadab Khan (vice-captain) (Northern)
3. Asif Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
4. Asif Ali (Northern)
5. Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
6. Haider Ali (Northern)
7. Haris Rauf (Northern)
8. Hasan Ali (Central Punjab)
9. Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
10. Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab)
11. Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
12. Mohammad Nawaz (Northern)
13. Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
14. Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
15. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
16. Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh)
17. Usman Qadir (Central Punjab)