RAWALPINDI: The overnight rain and wet outfield have compelled the umpires to reduce the fourth day’s play between Pakistan and Australia to maximum 67 overs in the first Test of the series, which is being played between the two sides in the country after a span of 24 years.
Earlier the play was delayed due to the wet field but after inspecting the gourd at 12:15 pm, the umpires decided to start the play at 1 pm with limited overs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in its latest update.
On Sunday, the third day of the opening Test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium was called off early due to inclement weather.
Australia were 271-2, with Marnus Labuschagne undefeated on 69 and Steve Smith on 24, when the umpires took the players off the field due to bad light.
Australia are 205 runs behind Pakistan with eight wickets remaining after the hosts declared on 476-4 on Saturday.
The Aussies are visiting Pakistan for the first time in 24 years, having previously declined to visit due to security concerns. On the current tour, they will play three Tests, as many one-day internationals as possible, and a Twenty20 international.
Cricket fans express disappointment with pitch
The majority of cricket fans who turned out for Australia’s historic Pindi Test against Pakistan expressed disappointment with the pitch prepared for the series opener, feeling that a more yielding surface would have been suitable for such an event.
According to a The News report, fans who turned in numbers at the stadium over the last three days were surprised by the curator’s selection.
“Look, Test cricket is already dwindling in popularity as T20I and other limited-overs forms gain traction. There should be more pitches, not only the one at the Pindi Stadium, for this historic event,” Tehseen Ahmad, who travelled from Peshawar specifically to watch both sides in play, remarked.
