The Australian cricket team, currently in Sharjah to gear up for the five-match ODI series against Pakistan, invited the USA team to train with them at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday.
USA had played their maiden Twenty20 International – the second T20I – against UAE recently which they won by 24 runs. (ALSO READ: Steven Taylor scores memorable fifty on USA’s T20I debut, but rains plays spoilsport)
Some more shots of a memorable day for the #TeamUSA???????? bowling group with the @CricketAus squad in Sharjah ????????
See all the photos here????: https://t.co/90Jb9f3QLO pic.twitter.com/dCkdxW1joU
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) March 20, 2019
Some of the USA players bowled to the Australian batsmen and in fact, it was the Aussies who invited their American counterparts to train with them. Coach Justin Langer, captain Aaron Finch also spent some time with the USA team.
What a truly fantastic afternoon for the #TeamUSA???????? bowling group today, as we were invited to train with the Australian???????? team in Sharjah!
Some phenomenal insight from Justin Langer, Aaron Finch and Troy Cooley for all our boys to learn from ????
Our thanks to all involved ???? pic.twitter.com/DHkRI07dkO
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) March 20, 2019
“It was great to have you guys down at practice today. Some very skilled USA cricket players,” Finch wrote on Twitter.
It was great to have you guys down at practice today! Some VERY skilled @usacricket players!! https://t.co/TuhEy6vKaR
— Aaron Finch (@AaronFinch5) March 20, 2019
Meanwhile, Australia are set to Pakistan in the first of the five-match ODI series beginning on Friday in what is their last assignment before the ICC World Cup 2019. Australia, who are coming off a successful India tour, are battling player illness, while Pakistan, a team with its own ODI struggles, have plenty of success in the UAE.
Australia will have to be wary about Mohammad Abbas, the wrecker-in-chief when both teams met in the UAE in the two-Test series in October last year. However, Finch dismissed thoughts that Abbas would be effective this time around. (ALSO READ: 1st ODI: Illness-hit Australia meet new-look Pakistan in Sharjah)
“He had some great success with the red ball in the Test matches against us. He bowled very consistently, just moved the ball enough each way,” Finch said.
“But I think it’ll be totally different conditions, different format. Your mindset is definitely a bit different as a batter in one-day cricket. That’ll be a good challenge again though, there are a few guys in our side who he did have some success against. So, it’s about coming up with a plan for him.”
