Cricket fans have been left disappointed after it was confirmed a last-minute two-day practice game between Victoria XI and Pakistan will take place behind closed doors.
The additional fixture, which was announced on Sunday, was not part of the original schedule but is much-needed for a Pakistan side that will now be without Khurram Shahzad for the Boxing Day Test.
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“That was something extra we added into the schedule because it wasn’t there earlier,” Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez told reporters.
“We wanted to have more practice rather than only one practice game. That had first class status, so we couldn’t give all the bowlers the chance to have a feel.
“But that’s the reason we wanted to have that practice game so more of the guys could get a feel for a match scenario. We felt that would work well.”
The match will not have first-class status but will feature three former Test players in Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski in the Victoria XI side.
For Harris in particular it will be yet another valuable opportunity to replace David Warner at the top of the order when he retires from the Test cricket arena.
It is also a chance for Pucovski to once again put his name forward for contention after a troubled run since his only Test appearance in January 2021.
However, fans and media will not have an opportunity to be in attendance at CitiPower Centre for the game on Friday or Saturday, with the action taking place behind closed doors.
The game will not be streamed either, and media have also been shut out.
Cricket Australia said in a statement to The Age that the match had been closed to the public “due to the late request for the fixture which provided logistical challenges in allowing patrons and media to attend”.
The decision did not go down well with cricket fans though, who took to social media to express their disappointment on Friday.
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