Pakistan look to dominate new-look Australia

DUBAI: Hosts Pakistan will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing Asia Cup campaign when they take on a new-look Australian side in the first match of their two-Test series at the Dubai International Stadium here on Sunday (today) .

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will rely on the leg-spin of Yasir Shah to exploit the conditions. Top-order batsmen Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Babar Azam will also be required to be at the top of their game.

Sarfraz has made it clear that he will attack Australia through Yasir. “When we played Australia in 2014 we played some attacking cricket,” said Sarfraz. “Yasir is our main bowler so we will want him to attack and get us wickets to win the series.

“But similarly we will not put extra pressure on him and will not want him to go in a defensive mode so other bowlers will have to support him.”

Yasir, set to play his first Test in a year, will be the key to unravelling Australia’s middle order and how he brings his experience to the fore is likely to determine the outcome of this series.

Pakistan will also have 33-year-old off-spinner Bilal Asif, who played three One-day Internationals in 2015 but has yet to play a Test.

Sarfraz’s captaincy will be tested ahead of this tough challenge and how he chooses and rotates his bowling line-up will be under scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Australia captain Tim Paine hoped his team would move on from the ball-tampering row and start a new era.

Australian cricket was rocked by the ball-tampering row in the Cape Town Test against South Africa in March this year, the fallout resulting in year-long bans for then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner.

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, caught by television cameras using sandpaper to try and scuff up the ball, was suspended for nine months.

It also led to coach Darren Lehmann stepping down and being replaced by Justin Langer, with both the new coach and Paine promising to reshape the culture around the team.

“I think what happened was unfortunate but we have to move on. We are fortunate enough to be getting back together after what happened,” Paine said on Saturday.

Both teams will also shake hands ahead of the Dubai Test, with Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne all set to make their Test debuts for Australia.

“It’s a great opportunity for some new players, new coach, but still the Australian Test team hasn’t changed. It’s a little bit of a new era, but we are hopeful that the guys who were involved will be back in the next six or eight months,” said Paine of the banned trio.

Australia lost 2-0 to Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, with Yasir taking 12 wickets and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who is no longer in the international set-up, claiming 14.

“Yasir is clearly a world-class bowler who’s got a phenomenal record at this ground in Dubai. We’re going to have to take everything we’ve been working on,” said Paine.

“We’ve faced a hell of a lot of spin, there’s no doubt about that and Australian touring sides always do,” said Paine.

Teams:

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz, Mir Hamza

Australia: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc.