Skipper Ricky Ponting said Tuesday Australia were ready for the "antics" of Pakistan's express bowler Shoaib Akhtar in next month's home three-Test series. Ponting turned his sights on the Pakistani tourists after Australia mopped up an emphatic 213-run Adelaide Test victory to sweep a two-match series over mis-matched New Zealand here.
The Pakistanis arrived in Perth on Monday armed with the 'Rawalpindi Express', who along with Australian Brett Lee, ranks as the fastest bowler in world cricket.
Ponting said the Australian batsmen were looking forward to the tougher assignment of facing the searing pace of Akhtar on the fast bouncy WACA pitch in the first Test at Perth, starting on December 16.
"Akhtar tries to get under your skin a little bit, as he did in the last tour of Australia but the good thing is that we've had some good success against him, so we don't need to build it up too much or say too much back to him," Ponting said Tuesday.
"He can do whatever he wants to put us off but it will be a challenge for us to be as strong as we can and to make sure we're doing the job with the bat.
"I'm sure all those antics will continue on in this next series and I'm sure we'll enjoy it as well."
Ponting said his team were excited at the prospect of facing the young Pakistan team, which has never won a Test series in Australia.
"They have got a very good pace attack, they've got a young, unpredictable side," he said.
"We've played on two pretty good batting surfaces over the last couple of weeks in these Test matches (against New Zealand) and we're going to have a fast bouncy one in Perth against two of the fastest bowlers in the world, said Ponting referring to Akhtar and his pace partner Mohammad Sami.
"They are dangerous, in more ways than one, and it's up to all the batsmen to make sure they are nice and sharp and ready for that challenge.
"But we've had a lot of success against Pakistan over the last few years, particularly our batting, so it will be a great challenge.
"It's really exciting Test cricket when you go to Perth and you see fast bowlers coming in off their long runs and there will be plenty of bouncers flying around, there will be lots of shots played as well, so it should be some good cricket."
In the last series here against Pakistan in 1999, Australia won the first Test in Brisbane by 10 wickets, the second Test in Hobart by four wickets and the third Test in Perth by an innings and 20 runs.
Akhtar took just six wickets in that series at an expensive 67.66.
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