The first test was held in Karachi and quickly caused controversy, with Australian spinner Tim May having three LBW appeals turned down against Javed Miandad on the first day on his way to 211 and a first innings score of 9/469d, before Australia would suffer an innings defeat after collapsing to 165 in the first innings and 116 in the second after Pakistan enforced the follow on.
There was furore in the Australian camp as they perceived the umpiring to be biased towards Pakistan, this was not the first time umpiring standards had been questioned as the English team had also complained on their own tour the year previous and Imran Khan who did not play in this series, had called for neutral umpires for a tour of Pakistan in 1986 as there had been continued arguments that the Pakistani umpires were biased, a vote amongst the Australian team was held on if to continue the tour, with only Tony Dodemaide and Jamie Siddons voting to continue.
Although intervention from the Australian board ensured the tour would continue under protest. This protest would later be removed as the tour continued. The remaining matches were played out with Pakistan winning the test and ODI series 1-0 each. Pakistan would tour Australia the following year and there would also be questions about the umpiring, this time being biased towards Australia. Giving further strength to the idea of neutral umpires, which would be implemented by the ICC for all test matches from 1994.[1][2]
In the third match, Javed Miandad became the first batsman for Pakistan to score 7,000 runs in Tests.[3] It was also the only time that Steve Waugh opened the bowling in each innings in a Test.[3]
ODI series
Pakistan won the ODI series 1–0. The first match, scheduled for 30 September 1988, at the Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala was abandoned due to the ground flooding. The second match, originally scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi on 14 October 1988, and the third one-day match, scheduled to be played at Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad on 15 October 1988, were both abandoned as well due to riots. As a result, the scheduled rest day of the Lahore Test was cancelled and a one-day international scheduled for 13 October for Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. That match as then played a day later.[4][5][6]
The only one day match to be played resulted in a tied game, with both teams scoring 229 in the 45 over match. However, since Australia lost 1 more wickets (8 to 7), Pakistan was declared winners of the match.[7]
Australia also played three 3-day first class tour matches against BCCP Patron's XI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 5 September 1988, Baluchistan Governor's XI at the Ayub National Stadium in Quetta on 9 September 1988 and against North West Frontier Province Governor's XI at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar on 2 October 1988.
^Frindall, Bill (31 July 1997). "Wills Challenge 1988-89 (Only Match)". Limited-Overs International Cricket: The Complete Record. Headline Book Publishing. p. 262. ISBN0747211736.
