Pakistan set to make 2 changes for 2nd test vs Australia
Pakistan set to make 2 changes for 2nd test vs Australia
The addition of opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq and pace bowler Mohammad Abbas are two changes being considered by Pakistan for the day-night test against Australia beginning Friday at the Adelaide Oval. © APWF Pakistan's Azhar Ali avoids a bouncer during a cricket test match between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard) Imam, a 23-year-old opening batsman, said Wednesday he was preparing to play but was still unsure if he'll be required for the second test. Australia won the first test by an innings and five runs at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Matt Page offers insights into pitch preparation for the Boxing Day Test (2:06). The nature of the MCG pitch is under intense scrutiny ahead of the Boxing Day Test, with a distinctly Meanwhile, Langer, a native of Western Australia who played much of his domestic cricket at the WACA ground
Highly-scrutinised track expected to provide strong contest for upcoming Boxing Day Test. Martin Smith at the MCG . “We went into that game trying to get it a little bit harder and a little bit drier … and we didn’t get the result we wanted,” he said of the Vic-WA match where 31 wickets fell over four days .
Cricket Australia officials have attempted to allay fears over the MCG pitch after play was abandoned on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at the venue.
© Getty ImagesVictoria had earlier won the toss and bowled, with Western Australia 3/89 in the 40th over.
Shaun Marsh was hit by a sharply rising Peter Siddle delivery, before Marcus Stoinis copped the same from Andrew Fekete.
Umpires called a stop to play, requesting the groundstaff roll the wicket before deciding to abandon play following another inspection.
MCG pitch too dangerous in Sheffield Shield match ahead of Australia's Boxing Day Test
MCG pitch too dangerous in Sheffield Shield match ahead of Australia's Boxing Day Test
The MCG pitch is deemed unsafe in a Sheffield Shield match in what may prove to be a significant embarrassment for Cricket Australia in the build-up to its marquee Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.Match officials called a halt to play 45 minutes into the second session on day one of the fixture between Victoria and Western Australia.
Cricket News: The MCG pitches have been under the scanner since last year when the fourth India vs Australia : Shastri drops Jadeja injury bombshell India vs Australia : Selection issues bog down India ahead of Boxing Day Test
Play has been suspended in a dramatic Sheffield Shield clash at the MCG because of dangerous pitch conditions. Western Australia batsmen Shaun Marsh, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis were all hit by deliveries from Victoria’s pacemen, which rose sharply and unexpectedly on a lively day -one deck.
Fair to say there was a bit happening in the first session, including this ball which spat up at Marsh from Siddle #VICvWA #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/1F84jagdbd
— Victorian Cricket Team (@VicStateCricket) December 7, 2019
Not long ago the MCG was called lifeless.
Now, it’s beyond dangerous.
Should we be concerned with the Boxing Day Test only a few weeks away?#SheffieldShield #VICvWA #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/m9J9qVmgWq
— Sporting News Australia (@sportingnewsau) December 7, 2019
With the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand less than three weeks away, Cricket Australia released a statement playing down concerns over the wicket at the iconic ground.
CA's head of cricket operations Peter Roach pointed out that a different pitch would be used for the clash with the Black Caps.
MCG pitch debacle: Perth ready to pounce on Boxing Day Test
MCG pitch debacle: Perth ready to pounce on Boxing Day Test
The reputation of the fabled ground took another hit after the Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia was abandoned due to safety concerns.The reputation of the fabled ground took another hit on Sunday after the Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia was abandoned due to safety concerns, ratcheting up the pressure on ground staff to produce a decent surface for this year's Test against New Zealand.
Cricket Australia said it would work closely with MCG staff to ensure the best possible track is prepared for Boxing Day . "We're very disappointed at today's play being abandoned," said CA's head of cricket operations Peter Roach, while noting that two previous Shield matches had been played at
Criticism about the MCG pitch peaked a year ago, when the venue was officially put on notice by the International Cricket Council for its "poor" pitch . The MCG has since attempted to make its deck more lively but recent evidence suggests it will be a far more batsman-friendly venue than Perth.
"We’re very disappointed at today’s play being abandoned in the Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia," Roach said.
"But we also acknowledge that there have been two previous Shield matches at the MCG this season without incident.
"Matt Page and the MCG groundstaff have more than two weeks to ensure the Test surface, which is a different pitch strip to the one being used in this match, is of international standard.
"We will seek to better understand the issues that resulted in variable bounce at the MCG on Saturday. We will also work closely with MCG groundstaff in the lead up to the Test match."
The pitch in Melbourne has come under plenty of fire in recent years, with the strip used for the 2017 Boxing Day Test being graded as 'poor' by the ICC.
Despite much talk in the build up, similar criticisms were aired during last year's match against India.
Sticky wicket: Why MCG has the most controversial strip of grass in Australia
Sticky wicket: Why MCG has the most controversial strip of grass in Australia
Pitch troubles have plagued the MCG for almost 40 years. Here, we take a look at the history of issues with the surface.But that hasn't stopped the criticism of what has continued to be a fairly lifeless deck. And the pressure is on curator Matt Page to produce a pitch for this year's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand that strikes the right balance between bat and ball for the biggest event on the Australian cricket calendar.
"We will evaluate Ashwin over the next 48 hours, Rohit looks good and has made good improvement Unless Shastri was playing mind games to keep the Aussies guessing, the chances of Mayank Don't get fooled by grass on MCG pitch : Marcus Harris. India vs Australia : Rating Perth pitch as 'average'
An MCG pitch labelled the flattest in Australia is proving true to form in the Boxing Day Test. "People want to see entertaining cricket , especially in an iconic Test match like the Boxing Day Test "We've had drop-ins here for 19 years and we've only had one draw we've got no concerns
Expect that pre-game focus on the wicket to ramp up again over the next few weeks following Saturday's debacle.
Pictures: Best Ashes performances over the years
3. Highest individual score
Player: Bob Simpson (Australia)
Runs: 311
Balls faced: 743
Year: 1964
Sticky wicket: Why MCG has the most controversial strip of grass in Australia
Pitch troubles have plagued the MCG for almost 40 years. Here, we take a look at the history of issues with the surface.But that hasn't stopped the criticism of what has continued to be a fairly lifeless deck. And the pressure is on curator Matt Page to produce a pitch for this year's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand that strikes the right balance between bat and ball for the biggest event on the Australian cricket calendar.
The MCG Boxing Day test wicket is on the verge of being the subject of an official rebuke from the International Cricket Steve Smith inspects the pitch ahead of the Boxing Day test. It would not be the first match played in Australia this summer to be the subject of an unwanted pitch rating.
A view of the MCG on Boxing Day CA/ Cricket Australia /Getty Images. Given the dull draw played out last year between Australia and England, there was a sharp focus on the quality Under the ICC's pitch review system, which came into effect in January last year, if a pitch or outfield is rated as being
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3. Most wickets (Australia)
Player: Hugh Trumble
Wickets: 141
Matches played: 31
Best bowling innings: 8/65
Victorian team requested MCG pitch with a 'bit more juice in it' for abandoned Shield match
The Victorian cricket team requested a pitch with a "little bit more juice in it" for their ultimately abandoned Sheffield Shield match with Western Australia. Umpires called a stop to play shortly after lunch on day one, with Warriors batsmen Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis taking nasty blows from balls that took off on a good length. require(["inlineoutstreamAd", "c.
NEW MCG curator Matt Page has done an “aggressive renovation” of the controversial drop-in pitches to avoid a repeat of last summer’s Boxing Day “So we’ve only got seven pitches , put the Test pitch in the middle, and we’ll play Shield games on the wickets either side, get the players running over
Australian coach Justin Langer has declared all-rounder Mitch Marsh has become an "attractive commodity" for Boxing Day test at MCG . "I have said forever, the most important thing in test cricket , in international cricket at the moment, are the pitches that we play on because if you have
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5. Biggest wins for Australia (by runs)
Margin: 382
Year: 1895
MCG pitch has always been questionable: Border
Australian cricket great Allan Border cannot remember a time when the MCG pitch has ever been of a high standard. The famous playing surface has routinely come under criticism for being lifeless and dull, but that scrutiny has ramped up even more in the past week after play was abandoned in a Sheffield Shield match because it was deemed too unsafe.On that occasion, the MCG pitch had too much life in it. And while a different pitch will be used for the Boxing Day Test, groundskeepers are working feverishly to get it up to scratch for the match against New Zealand in just over two weeks' time.
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern
Boxing Day is a secular holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day . It originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.
Sticky wicket: Why MCG has the most controversial strip of grass in Australia 
Pitch troubles have plagued the MCG for almost 40 years. Here, we take a look at the history of issues with the surface.But that hasn't stopped the criticism of what has continued to be a fairly lifeless deck. And the pressure is on curator Matt Page to produce a pitch for this year's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand that strikes the right balance between bat and ball for the biggest event on the Australian cricket calendar.
Victorian team requested MCG pitch with a 'bit more juice in it' for abandoned Shield match 
The Victorian cricket team requested a pitch with a "little bit more juice in it" for their ultimately abandoned Sheffield Shield match with Western Australia. Umpires called a stop to play shortly after lunch on day one, with Warriors batsmen Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis taking nasty blows from balls that took off on a good length. require(["inlineoutstreamAd", "c.
MCG pitch has always been questionable: Border 
Australian cricket great Allan Border cannot remember a time when the MCG pitch has ever been of a high standard. The famous playing surface has routinely come under criticism for being lifeless and dull, but that scrutiny has ramped up even more in the past week after play was abandoned in a Sheffield Shield match because it was deemed too unsafe.On that occasion, the MCG pitch had too much life in it. And while a different pitch will be used for the Boxing Day Test, groundskeepers are working feverishly to get it up to scratch for the match against New Zealand in just over two weeks' time.
Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts reveals future plans for day/night Test matches, Boxing Day and MCG .
The success of day/night cricket from a commercial standpoint is certainly not lost on Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts - but just how much of it are we going to see moving forward? Well, according to the man himself, he wants ALL Test matches in Australia to be under lights with a pink rock. require(["inlineoutstreamAd", "c.
Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts reveals future plans for day/night Test... 
