Recap of all Champions Trophy warm up matches

LAHORE: Four teams participated in the warm up matches for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, including Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

However, Pakistan didn’t send their Champions Trophy squad for the warm up games. In order to give them rest after the recent tri-nation series, Pakistan sent 36 different players in three different squads under the Shaheens banner.

The Pakistan Shaheens played three warm up matches, including one against Afghanistan on February 14, and two on February 17, against Bangladesh and South Africa.

Pakistan Shaheens vs Afghanistan

Hussain Talat, Mohsin Riaz, and Irfan Khan were the standout batters in the first warm-up game against Afghanistan. Talat had the highest score in the match with 70 runs off 75 balls. Riaz and Irfan also made half centuries, scoring 61 and 57 runs respectively. The Shaheens ended with a total of 314 runs.

The Shaheens’ bowlers dismantled Afghanistan’s line-up within 39 overs, holding them to only 170 runs to win the match. Shadab Khan took three wickets, while Kashif Ali, Jandandad Khan, Mohammad Amir Khan, Abbas Afridi, and Arafat Minhas each took one.

Shaheens won by 144 runs.

The Shaheen’s squad included: Mohsin Riaz, Abdul Faseeh, Muhammad Akhlaq †, Hussain Talat, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Imran, Abbas Afridi, Shadab Khan (c), Kashif Ali, Arafat Minhas, and Mohammad Amir Khan.

Also read: ICC Champions Trophy facts: What to know before it starts

Pakistan Shaheens vs South Africa

Shaheens skipper Muhammad Hurraira and Imam-ul-Haq both had fantastic knocks. Hurraira scored 110 runs off 114 deliveries, hitting 12 fours and one six. Imam was run out just two runs short of a century of his own. The Shaheens recorded a total of 322 runs. However, South Africa were able to make the chase.

Four different players made half centuries on the Proteas’ squad, including Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Rasie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram. Dussen had the highest score for South Africa with 62. The Shaheens’ Niaz Khan and Mehran Mumtaz took two wickets each.

The Shaheen’s squad included: Muhammad Hurraira (c)†, Hasan Nawaz, Imam-ul-Haq, Qasim Akram, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Khan, Amad Butt, Ghazi Ghori, Niaz Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Khurram Shahzad, and Faisal Akram.

Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh

The Shaheens easily won their final warm-up match against Bangladesh. Usama Mir took four wickets to lead the Shaheens’ bowlers as they limited Bangladesh to just 202 runs in 38.2 overs. Muhammad Musa also had two wickets, while Sufiyan Muqeem, Ali Raza, and Mubasir Khan each had one.

Shaheens skipper Mohammad Haris made the highest total in the match with 76 runs off 73 deliveries. Mubasir Khan also made a half century, scoring 63 runs off 54 deliveries.

The Shaheen’s squad included: Sahibzada Farhan, Azan Awais, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris (c)†, Mubasir Khan, Abdul Samad, Aamer Jamal, Usama Mir, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim, Ali Raza, Muhammad Musa.

Also read: More than cricket as Pakistan hosts ICC Champions Trophy in 29 years

Afghanistan vs New Zealand

The only warm-up game that didn’t include Pakistan was a match between Afghanistan and New Zealand, which the Kiwis won despite Afghanistan making 305 runs in the first innings.

Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 110 runs off 107 deliveries, hitting 12 fours and six in the process to lead his team to a respectable total. Sediquallah Atal had the second highest score for Afhganistan, scoring 52 runs. Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Mitchell Santner each took two wickets, while Nathan Smith and Glenn Phillips both took one.

Devon Conway led New Zealand in their chase, as he scored 66 runs off 67 deliveries. Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips just missed out on half centuries of their own, scoring 47 and 46 respectively. Despite Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan’s two wickets each, and Azmatullah Omarzai’s one, Afghanistan weren’t able to stop New Zealand from making 308 runs to win the match.