By Australia will take on Pakistan in the second semifinal of the ongoing U-19 World Cup at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. The winner of the clash will meet Uday Saharan-led India on Sunday.
Australian captain Hugh Weibgen has been in sublime form throughout the tournament. He has been the leading runscorer for the side with 252 runs at an average of 63. To counter the threat he possesses or any from the Australian batting order Pakistan has a lethal weapon in Ubaid Shah who is a younger brother of Naseem Shah.
Pakistan vs Australia World Cup 2024 Semi-Final:
Like his elder brother Naseem, Ubaid seems like a world-class bowler in the making already. In the current tournament, he has picked up 17 wickets already at an average of 10.53. As per batting Shahzaib Khan has been a talisman for Pakistan with 260 runs at an average of 65. While Australia has lost one game in the last five their opponents Pakistan have been unbeaten.
Australia opener Harjas Singh has had a forgettable U-19 World Cup so far, reaching double figures only twice. He has managed only 45 runs in six outings, but is confident to take on Pakistan’s fancied pace battery comprising Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Zeeshan and Ali Mirza in Thursday’s second semi-final, the winners of which will face defending champions India for the title.
“It has been a below-par tournament for me. I have not done well but just a few innings back, I had scored against England (Youth Test). I don’t think I need to change anything in my batting technique,” Harjas tells The Indian Express from Benoni.
Struggling Harjas Singh Aims to Overcome U-19 World Cup Woes Against Pakistan’s Pace Threat
Australia opener Harjas Singh has had a forgettable U-19 World Cup so far, reaching double figures only twice. He has managed only 45 runs in six outings, but is confident to take on Pakistan’s fancied pace battery comprising Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Zeeshan and Ali Mirza in Thursday’s second semi-final, the winners of which will face defending champions India for the title.
“Pakistan does have a good bowling attack, but I have grown up playing cricket in Australia and we are used to playing on bouncy tracks from a very young age. I am a big unit and can pack some punch as well,” the left-hander says.
Interestingly, Harjas doesn’t like watching cricket or following any star player, but Usman Khawaja’s rise in the recent past has impressed him a lot.
“I don’t talk about cricket or watch it once I am out of the field. But in the past couple of years, I have been inspired by the journey of Usman Khawaja. He was dropped from the Test team, but fought his way back and is currently one of the best Test batsmen in the world.
