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Pakistan falling apart ahead of Australia's tour

30th September, 2014
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Younis Khan was on fire for Pakistan against England. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Expert
30th September, 2014
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Pakistan are in disarray as they prepare to host Australia, with gun batsman Younis Khan threatening to withdraw from Tests and two more spinners reported for suspect actions.

Already badly wounded by the suspension of their spin superstar Saeed Ajmal for having an illegal action, these latest developments threaten to derail Pakistan cricket.

Australia’s tour to the United Arab Emirates starts this Sunday when they play Pakistan in a one-off Twenty20 in Dubai, followed by three one-day internationals and two Tests.

Key all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and off spinner Adnan Rasool, one of the leading candidates to replace Ajmal in the Test side, have both been reported during the Champions League T20 tournament in India.

Hafeez, who has been a pivotal player for his country in all three formats in recent years, was playing for the Lahore Lions against the Dolphins in Bangalore on Saturday when he was reported.

His action was questioned by umpires Kumar Dharamsena, Vineet Kulkarni and Anil Chaudhary. Hafeez’s Lahore teammate Adnan Rasool was reported for a suspect action last week in a continuation of the major crackdown on the 15-degrees of flex rule this year. Rasool is considered one of the leading candidates to play in the upcoming Test series against Australia as a replacement for the banned Ajmal.

Hafeez and Rasool are fortunate that when they were reported they were playing in the Champions League rather than an international match. The Champions League rules, enforced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, are more lenient than International Cricket Council regulations. Under the Champions League guidelines, Hafeez and Rasool were placed on a ‘warning list’ for their action and allowed to keep bowling.

Although their reports will not stop them from playing against Australia, they will ensure that both bowlers are heavily scrutinised by the umpires in control of those matches.

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Unless Hafeez and Rasool remodel their actions over the coming weeks it is possible they could be reported again in matches against Autstralia, this time by the ICC. This will place both bowlers under significant pressure and also surely act as a distraction for the Pakistan side, who look set to be without their best player in Ajmal.

Compounding their spin woes is the row the Pakistan Cricket Board have started with the country’s most prolific Test batsman, 36-year-old Younis Khan.

Younis, who has scored 7610 runs at an average of 51 in Tests, including 24 centuries, late last week reacted furiously to being dumped from the Pakistan team for the ODIs against Australia.

Claiming the Pakistan selectors had told him they wanted to try younger players in the ODI series, Younis said he had told the PCB not to select him for the Test series either.

“Don’t select me, not even in Tests,” Younis told the media. “I sacrifice my future. I am saying a simple thing, if they are saying that youngsters are future of ODIs, then where is the future of Pakistan in Test cricket? Don’t select me in Test matches and make (young players) the future of Pakistan in Test cricket too.”

Younis’ withdrawal from the Test line-up could prove a fatal blow for Pakistan, whose batting is weak and unpredictable. The side’s ability to post competitive totals has hinged on the contributions of Younis and 40-year-old middle order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq.

Amid frequent batting collapses and the constant off-field turmoil which follows the Pakistan team, Younis has been a wonderfully reliable performer.

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Over his past 24 Tests, he has accumulated 1993 runs at 54, including seven centuries. Although his record is inflated by cashing in against minnow sides Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, he remains a valuable Test player.

Without Younis steadying the batting at number four or Ajmal spinning a wizardly web, Pakistan could well crumble. The intense focus on Hafeez and Rasool will not help their cause.

The circumstances are fortuitous for Australia. Given their past struggles in Asian conditions, they would have faced a huge challenge to overcome a Pakistan side boasting Ajmal and Younis. The circumstances now suggest Australia should be robust favourites to trump Pakistan in both the Tests and ODIs.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann has allayed fears that skipper Michael Clarke and rampant paceman Mitchell Johnson may not to fit to play in the UAE. Johnson pulled out of the Champions Trophy due to a rib injury and Clarke is recovering from a serious hamstring injury.

Their presence in the Test side would help to cover for the losses of pace spearhead Ryan Harris and veteran all-rounder Shane Watson, both who will be absent because of fitness issues.

Coming off a rousing summer during which they first vaporised England 5-0 at home and then upset South Africa 2-1 away, Australia are perfectly placed to improve their poor Test record in Asia.

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