| Series Name: | Pakistan cricket team in Australia in 2023–24 |
| Team1 Image: | Flag of Australia.svg |
| Team1 Name: | Australia |
| Team2 Image: | Flag of Pakistan.svg |
| Team2 Name: | Pakistan |
| From Date: | 6 December 2023 |
| To Date: | 7 January 2024 |
| Team1 Captain: | Pat Cummins |
| Team2 Captain: | Shan Masood |
| No Of Tests: | 3 |
| Team1 Tests Won: | 3 |
| Team2 Tests Won: | 0 |
| Team1 Tests Most Runs: | Mitchell Marsh (344)[1] |
| Team2 Tests Most Runs: | Mohammad Rizwan (193) |
| Team1 Tests Most Wickets: | Pat Cummins (19)[2] |
| Team2 Tests Most Wickets: | Aamir Jamal (18) |
| Player Of Test Series: | Pat Cummins (Aus) |
The Pakistan national cricket team toured Australia in December 2023 and January 2024 to play three Test matches.[3] The teams contested the Benaud–Qadir Trophy and the series was a part of the 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship.[4] [5] [6]
In December 2023, Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja apparently attempted to appeal to the international community by including the slogan "All lives are equal" in his pair of shoes during Australia's first test match of the series.[7] He made the decision to showcase the solidarity with the citizens of Palestine who are being killed by Israeli forces although he did not intend any political messages directing towards a particular party. His social messages "All lives are equal" and "Freedom is a human right" were understood by both Cricket Australia (CA) and International Cricket Council (ICC) to be political and both organizations banned Khawaja from using such slogans.[8] Khawaja also wore black armbands during the first test match against Pakistan at Perth which drew sharp criticism from the ICC which eventually reprimanded him for wearing black armbands by ruling out that it breached the clothing and equipment regulations of the body.[9] Khawaja insisted that he wore black armband for his personal bereavement and does not lean with the sentiments towards Gaza.[10] [11] [12] Khawaja also revealed that he would challenge the ICC charges regarding the wearing of black armbands but promised that he would not wear them for the Boxing Day test match at Melbourne against Pakistan.[13]
In December 2023, Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf made himself unavailable for this series, due to his partaking in the Big Bash League, which triggered the PCB to hold a hearing. The hearing resulted in the termination of his central contract. PCB also decided for Rauf to not be granted an NOC to play in overseas leagues till June 30, 2024.[14] [15] During this time, the PCB chairman was Zaka Ashraf.
However, it is worth noting that Mohsin Naqvi did reinstate his central contract once according to Naqvi, "wrote to us (the PCB) very nicely."[16] [17]
On 10 December 2023, Sajid Khan was added to Pakistan's squad as cover for unfit Abrar Ahmed.[20]
On 13 December 2023, Travis Head and Steve Smith were named joint-vice-captains of Australia.[21] [22]
On 21 December 2023, Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad was ruled out of the last two tests due to rib stress fracture and abdominal muscle tear suffered during the first Test.[23]
On 23 December 2023, Pakistan's Noman Ali was ruled out of the last two tests due to acute appendicitis,[24] with Mohammad Nawaz named as replacement.[25]
This match wasn't part of the original schedule and was added later at Pakistan's request.[26] It was not a first-class match.[27]
See main article: Benaud–Qadir Trophy.
The top wicket-tacker for this series was Pat Cummins of Australia, who took 19 wickets, followed by Aamir Jamal of Pakistan, who took 18 wickets, and was debuting this series.
The top scorer for this series was Mitchell Marsh of Australia, who made 344 runs, followed by David Warner, also of Australia, who made 299 runs.
This was David Warner's final test series. In his last test, the 3rd test of the series, he made 34 runs from 68 balls after being caught by Babar Azam with Agha Salman balling in the first innings. He made 57 runs from 75 balls after being trapped LBW. He ended his test career with 8786 runs, an average of 44.59, a strike rate of 70.26, 26 hundreds, and 37 fifties. He ended on no. 5 on the Australians with the most test career runs career test runs list.[28]
This was Shan Masood's first test series as captain, following Babar Azam's resignation from the role. He scored the second most runs for Pakistan in the series, scoring 181 runs in total, at an average of 30.16, high-scoring 60.[29]
Both Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad debuted in this series.
Aamir Jamal took 18 wickets, at an average of 20.44, taking the most wickets for Pakistan in the series, and second overall. He made 143 runs, at an average of 28.60 and high-scored at 82, propelling Pakistan in a stand to over 300 in the first innings.
Khurram Shahzad took 5 wickets, at an average of 25.60, taking the fourth most wickets for Pakistan in the series, and 8th overall. He was ruled out from the second and third tests following suffering a rib stress fracture and an abdominal muscle tear.