Australia v Pakistan Test series: Mohammad Abbas, Asad Shafiq among players to watch at Gabba, Adelaide

Babar Azam is the undoubted star but Pakistan are far from a one man team. From a 16-year-old quick to a veteran batsman, here are a few names that you are sure to be familiar with over the next few weeks.

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Naturally, we can’t have a Pakistan ‘players to watch’ piece without the touring nation’s best batsman – and a rising star who Michael Hussey believes should be thought of in the same breath as Steve Smith and Virat Kohli.

But, as you can read in more detail here, Babar is primed for a monster summer.

Having conquered T20 and ODI cricket, the Test arena is next on his checklist… starting with Australia.

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So for the purposes of this article, let’s look at four players who you may not have heard of – but should know a bit more about by the end of the summer.

Mohammad Abbas is a big threat to the Aussie batsmen.

Mohammad Abbas

Through seven series, this gentle medium pacer has proven to be the master of deception.

He doesn’t intimidate through pace, but he’ll unpick your technique and send you packing.

His Test average of 18.86 is among the very best of all time – and Australian fans should remember him as the bowler who shredded them to the tune of 17 wickets at 10.59 last year.

Pakistan think the way to remove Steve Smith is to hit the top of off-stump from six-to-eight metres every ball. In Abbas, they have the perfect bowler to deliver that plan.

As the Courier Mail’s Robert Craddock writes, “(Abbas) does not have Shoaib Akhtar’s hair, Waqar’s pace or Akram’s presence – but he takes wickets.”

Iftikhar Ahmed can cause problems for the Aussie pace attack.

Has just the one Test to his name, but this late-bloomer could be the devastating ball-striker Pakistan’s middle order needs to counter Australia’s powerhouse pace attack.

The 29-year-old has forced his way back into the Test setup the old fashioned way – through a mountain of runs at first class level.

But, in his short time on Australian shores, he’s shown a willingness to take the long handle to the attack. Back-to-back blazing knocks in the Twenty20 series gave Australia a taste, before he hit a more composed, unbeaten 79 against Australia A in the red-ball warm-up fixture.

No certainty to make the final XI at the Gabba, but will provide entertainment if he does.

Asad Shafiq has been among the runs already in Australia.

Asad Shafiq

Forget captain Azhar Ali, Pakistan’s second biggest threat with the willow this summer will be 33-year-old Asad Shafiq.

Whereas Ali produced two ugly failures in Pakistan’s only warm-up, this punchy right-hander revived memories of his stunning Gabba century from their last tour. On that occasion, Shafiq knocked together a remarkable 137 as Pakistan came within 39 runs off pulling off a scarcely believable run chase.

Last week he hit 119 runs against an Australia A attack desperate to impress. And, because he couldn’t be stopped, Shafiq retired to give the rest of the squad a crack.

Four days later he hit another century against a Cricket Australia XI – and again finished unbeaten.

Naseem Shah is just 16 but already looks to be a real handful for batsmen.

Naseem Shah

The most intriguing player involved in this series.

The 16-year-old Naseem has just seven first-class games to his name but possesses an action so pure it looks as if Waqar Younis was cloned in a laboratory.

Suffered the tragedy of losing his mother during the Australia A game last week – but returned two days later to bravely honour her with a stirring performance in Perth.

“The guts and courage he showed to step out on the field again, do it for his family and his mother and his team and his country, that was commendable,” said Pakistan batsman Shan Masood.

Making his debut at such a young age would be extraordinary, but he looks destined to follow the well-worn path of outstanding Pakistani fast bowlers.

Originally published as Australia v Pakistan Test series: Mohammad Abbas, Asad Shafiq among players to watch at Gabba, Adelaide