Australia is all set to go for a historic tour to Pakistan for mouthwatering Test, ODI and T20I series.
The tour will kick off with the first Test, which will be played in Rawalpindi.
The subcontinent pitches have been historically favourable for the spinners while Australia are not used to playing spin and the pitches in Pakistan might surprise the Aussies.
They will need to work out some quality spin bowling before going into the Test series against Pakistan.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Is Pakistan’s spin bowling department skilled enough to exploit the conditions?
Pakistan’s spin unit might be a little too inexperienced to exploit the spin-friendly conditions. Their spin bowling department is not as lethal as their pace bowling unit.
Their fast bowling department contains the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali, who have won them many matches.
However, their spin bowlers have not caused havoc as their pacers have done. They are devoid of a quality spinner this time around, which might undermine the spin-friendly conditions for the hosts and will mitigate the behaviour of the pitch for the tourists.
Both sides have to watch out for the quality pace bowling because both the tourists and hosts have a lethal fast bowling unit.
Australia have picked quality spinners given the spin-friendly conditions, including the veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson. They have a great chance to prevail in Pakistan.
Lyon has developed into the most pivotal spinner for Australia in the last few years. He is the highest wicket-taking spinner in Tests for Australia since the last decade.
Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson might be quite new to the oldest format, but you can’t let them out of the business as we have seen what they bring in the white-ball game.
Australian spinners will enjoy bowling in Pakistan. Very little assistance in the surface is sufficient for them to make the ball talk so Pakistan need to watch out for a quality spin bowling unit accompanied by a very formidable pace attack of the Aussies.
USMAN F F
Roar Rookie
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Kailash
Roar Rookie
Everything is honky Dory mate for Australia when they play England.But Pakistan tour will be very challenging.Dare I say Australia will struggle.Pakistan have quality pace bowlers who will exploit reverse swing at high pace.Pakistan spinners are little inexperienced but will do solid job at home.It will test Australia batting.smith is not in good form in test cricket and Australia will need smith at his best to win in Pakistan.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Poor Warney. He's had such a rough time of things.
John66
Roar Rookie
And yet Warne blamed Steve Waugh...
John66
Roar Rookie
Head in career best form is still only ever one reckless slash away from a low score. Even his wonderful hone summer was filled with fortunate edges not finding a fielder, and plenty of them. Smith and Marnus are well distanced from their best form and Green is inexperienced playing on foreign pitches. Carey hasn't shown much with the bat so, while I don't expect us to struggle hopelessly in Pakistan, there are some aspects which provide a concern or two.
Luqman
Roar Rookie
Yes, Pakistan have very good pace bowling contingent comprising Shaheen Afridi, Hassan Ali is also very effective in Tests and now gun bowler Haris Rauf is also in the squad so this will be a stern test for Australia.
U
Roar Rookie
Warner is struggling. Smith is on the downside and Marnus is finally feeling some pressure to score runs
U
Roar Rookie
England’s popgun attack troubled them at times. Pakistan will be a problem for them
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I don't think our spinners will do as well as theirs. We'll also make the mistake of having Starc in the side instead of Boland. Boland will do better than expected and will out-apply himself. He will take wickets or die trying. Starc is too fairweather for mine. ------ The Aussie bats will succeed if they counter-punch. If they go belligerent-bosso they could end up omelette-faced.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
And my point is India still do spinner friendly pitches because the opposition won't be familiar with those conditions. So might Pakistan if they see it as the best way to take the series. Nothing wrong with that.
Luqman
Roar Rookie
India has garnered great lineup of pace bowlers since last couple of years, before that they didn't had strong pace bowling unit however, they had good spinners and they provided spinner-friendly pitches.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
"Even" MacGill? A great leggie. Dominated at test level. And even better he was from NSW.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
I think if Pakistan deems it to be in their favour to have turners then the pitches will turn. India doesn't provide green tops even thought they have a great line up of quicks.
Ironmonger
Roar Rookie
Pakistan tour will be fascinating to watch. No seaming for Bolland but hopefully he can reverse swing. Havent really seen Swepson, but I read he has a decent wrong-un, and I hope moves a bit sideways, because that I think is the key on a slow paced wicket. I'm sure the Pakistani's will be going out of their way to be hospitable to entice others back. If I didn't have kids and an albatross-like-mortgage I would be very tempted to pop over....
Luqman
Roar Rookie
Hard to say mate because this Australian side has never toured Pakistan before. Maybe we will see Australia struggling in the first Test?
Marty
Roar Rookie
I think they will struggle tbh, particularly the batting lineup. The majority of the team have never set foot in Pakistan, let alone played a game of cricket there, and the guy who has had a reasonable amount of success on the sun-continent is in a horrible form slump. I wouldn’t be worrying to much about results, just showing improvement from the start of the tour to the finish would be a more realistic goal.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Warner's record in Australia isn't that great either. His stats here are bloated by soft easy 3rd innings runs when his team is already bossing the game, among other things.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
If I remember rightly Pakistan pitches tend to be slow, low surfaces, much like the 1980s SCG. But class spinners like Abdul Qadir, Mustaq Ahmed, Warne and even MacGill could exploit.
JGK
Roar Guru
I know it's going back a bit but I never thought Pakistani pitches were that spin friendly. It certainly wouldn't be anything like many of the Indian pitches or Galle.
Genius Selector
Roar Rookie
I think We will win the series. Our top 4 is probably the best we've had over the last decade with two of the best batsmen in world cricket in Smith and Marnus ( maybe 3 if you include Warner although his overseas record isn't great). Also Head has hit form and nailed down the number 5 spot and Cam Green is quite an exciting prospect at 6. We all know how good our bowling attack is it's just a question of who do we leave out if we decide to play 2 spinners? Should be a cracker of a test series.