# Australian cricket team in Pakistan in 1979–80

The Australian cricket team toured Pakistan in February to March 1980 to play a three-match Test series against Pakistan. Pakistan won the test series 1–0.

## Summary

The Series was Javed Miandad's first as a captain, following the retirement of Asif Iqbal. Pakistan was criticised by analysts for producing doctored pitches that were seen to neutralize Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee who ended the three test series with only 3 wickets.
The first test in Karachi, saw Pakistan come away victors, and gave Miandad his first test victory as captain, after limiting Australia to only 225 and 140, leaving a Day 4 chase of only 74, which Pakistan chased down for the loss of only three wickets.
In the second test at Faisalabad, after no play was possible on the first day, Australia would bat until Day 4 and the game would finish with Pakistan only two wickets down in their first innings but still 235 runs behind Australia. Overall 336 overs were bowled in the match for only 12 wickets. While Australia would create their own history, by bowling all 11 players, including wicket keeper Rod Marsh who would bowl 10 overs alone.
The third and final test in Lahore would again finish in a draw, with both teams declaring their first innings for over 400 runs, but Australia would bat out the final day, ensuring Pakistan a 1-0 series win.

## Background

There was some doubt as to whether the tour would go ahead due to financial problems. Eventually the tour guarantee was increased and the number of games played cut from eight matches to five with three test matches and two 3-day games.

## Australian squad

It was the first tour by an Australian team since the peace treaty between the Australian Cricket Board and World Series Cricket. The original squad selected was as follows:
* Batsmen - Greg Chappell (captain), Kim Hughes (vice-captain), Allan Border, Graham Yallop, Bruce Laird, Julien Wiener, David Hookes
* Fast bowlers - Dennis Lillee, Geoff Dymock, Mick Malone, Geoff Lawson
* Spinners - Graeme Beard, Ray Bright
* Wicketkeeper - Rod Marsh

## Tour Matches

* 22–24 February 1980 (3–day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi Umpires: Javed Akhtar (Pak) Khizer Hayat (Pak)
* No toss
* March 13–15, 1980 (3–day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium, Multan Umpires: Amanullah Khan (Pak) Shakoor Rana (Pak)
* No toss

## Test series summary
### First Test

* 27 February – 2 March 1980 (5–day match) Scorecard
* Pakistan won by 7 wickets National Stadium, Karachi Umpires: Mahboob Shah and Shakoor Rana
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 1 March was taken as a rest day.
* The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
* GR Beard (AUS) and Tauseef Ahmed (PAK) made their Test debuts.

### Second Test

* 6 – 11 March 1980 (5–day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Umpires: Javed Akhtar and Khalid Aziz
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 9 March was taken as a rest day.
* There was no play on the first day.
* All 11 Australian players bowled for first time in their test history

### Third Test

* 18 – 23 March 1980 (5–day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Umpires: Amanullah Khan and Khizer Hayat
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 20 March was taken as a rest day.
* Azhar Khan and Azmat Rana (both PAK) made their Test debuts.

## Impact

The tour was Javed Miandad's first series win as test captain of Pakistan. It was a notable personal success for Allan Border who scored over 600 runs, and a disappointment for David Hookes, who only scored 10 runs for the whole tour.