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The Pakistan cricket team can be unpredictable at the best of times, and their appearance in the first ever day night Test to be held at the Gabba should be interesting to say the least.
Australia hasn’t lost a Test at the Gabba since the West Indies were at their peak in 1988. It’s usually the first Test of the summer, but not this year.
Our new-look batting lineup will have to cope with the pink ball on what could be some sultry Brisbane summer nights. Storm season has already arrived.
Pakistan will be hoping leg-spinner Yasir Shah is fit to play, after he missed their warm-up match in Cairns with a back injury. He burst onto the Test scene against Australia in the UAE in 2014 with 12 wickets at 17 in his first two Tests, as Pakistan completed a 2-0 series whitewash. Shah has 40 wickets from 8 Tests so far in 2016.
Other Pakistan players who will have fond memories of their 2014 series against Australia include 39-year-old Younis Khan (468 runs at 156), the seemingly ageless 42-year-old captain Misbah-ul-Haq (271 runs at 135.5) and opener Azhar Ali (292 runs at 97.3).
Azhar Ali has been Pakistan’s best Test performer in 2016, with 874 runs from 9 Tests at 54.6. Younus Khan is closing in on a career milestone of 10,000 Test runs, currently sitting at 9,679 at an average of 52.8.
This tour will be the first time 24-year-old left arm quick Mohammad Amir has played a Test in Australia since he impressed as an 18-year old in the summer of 2009-10. Not long after that he was found guilty of a spot-fixing scam by bowling deliberate no balls in a Test match against England at Lord’s. He served six months in jail and was banned from cricket for five years.
So far since his return in 2016, Amir has taken 25 wickets in 8 Tests at 37.6.
Pakistan are coming off a 2-0 away series loss to New Zealand. In addition, over the last twelve months they have beaten the West Indies 2-1 at ‘home’ in the UAE, beaten England 2-0 in the UAE, and drawn 2-2 with England in an away series.
They have played 4 Tests at the Gabba over the years, with three losses and a draw. The draw happened in 1983 when rain washed out most of the last two days with Australia in a strong position.
What are your predictions for the Gabba pink ball Test?
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