Pakistan name ‘A’ squad devoid of spin options, leaving Australia with headaches ahead of Test series
AUSTRALIA’S bid for a morale-boosting Test victory over Pakistan has taken a serious blow, with their warm-up match reduced to a sideshow.
AUSTRALIA’S hopes of pulling off a morale-boosting win in their first Test series under Justin Langer have been sabotaged by Pakistan’s decision to roll out a questionable side for the tour’s only warm-up match.
No frontline spinners have been selected in the Pakistan A side which Australia will use as their only practice for the two-Test series, in a pointed decision designed to destroy Australia’s preparation.
Australia were routed by Pakistan 2-0 in their last tour in the UAE, with spin proving their undoing as Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah combined to take 26 wickets in the Test demolition.
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Shah, and Brisbane Heat’s teenage leg-spin sensation Shadab Khan, are the dangermen this time around with spin again expected to play an enormous part in the two-Test series in the UAE, which begins on October 7.
Australia selected three specialist spinners in their 15-man squad and Langer is likely to deploy the spin duo of Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland in the opening Test, with left-armer Ashton Agar in the mix to add a third frontline spin option in an all-rounder role.
However any plans his under-fire batsmen had of readying themselves for Pakistan’s spin mastery have been thrown into disarray by a comical decision by the home side to shield Australia from any frontline spinners in the tour’s only practice match.
The four-day first class match against Pakistan A starts from Saturday at the ICC Academy, with veteran batsman Asad Shafiq leading a squad that boasts Test-capped players Usman Salahuddin, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali.
But, curiously, the squad is devoid of spinners — in a move that smacks of the home
side determined to deny Australia a chance to face top-quality spin in trying conditions.
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Instead, only part-time offspinners Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman have been selected.
It is not uncommon for touring teams to face weakened second XI line-ups — and often on pitches that aren’t similar to those on which the Test series will be played.
In India last year Australia were treated to a flat wicket in Mumbai in their warm-up — with uncapped youngster Shreyas Iyer blasting a double century a week out from the opening Test, where curators offered a raging turner on a Pune dustbowl.
Australia were themselves accused of trying to derail England’s Ashes hopes over summer, with former England captain Michael Vaughan slamming the quality of opposition selected in warm-up matches.
In England’s first match they played an inexperienced Western Australian XI, captained by talented, but injury-prone, quick Nathan Coulter-Nile — while their second produced a victory for the tourists by 192 runs against an Australian outfit largely boasting players yet to make their first class debuts.
PAKISTAN A SQUAD:
Sami Aslam, Abid Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asad Shafiq (capt), Usman Salahuddin, Saad Ali, Agha Salman, M Rizwan (wk), Waqas Maqsood, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Aamer Yami, Umaid Asif and Saud Shakeel.
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Originally published as Pakistan name ‘A’ squad devoid of spin options, leaving Australia with headaches ahead of Test series
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