Australian captain Ricky Ponting, along with the world's best pace and leg spin attack and a strong batting line-up in his armory, is all set to welcome the young and inexperienced Pakistan team at Perth on December 16. Of the four previous Test matches Pakistan had played at Perth, their performance was below standard. They suffered innings defeats in two Test matches, seven-wicket and 286-run defeats in one each Test. Their highest was 298 and the lowest 62
Though Australia's former captain Steve Waugh has said world's fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar will be a real test of nerve for the Aussies, Ponting said his team was ready for the "antics" of Shoaib Akhtar.
He said in a newspaper interview the Australian batsmen were looking forward to the tougher assignment of facing the searing pace of Shoaib and Mohammad Sami.
On the eve of the team's departure to Australia, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has confessed that since the present team is weaker than the teams which previously visited Australia, there will, therefore, be no pressure on the team, but Bob Woolmer said he believed Pakistan could match Australia in the series, provided they played with some attacking flair to knock the Aussies pacers and leg spinner Shane Warne off their line.
Well aware of the onslaught of the Australian pace trio of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz and leg-spinner Shane Warne, Inzamam said besides the playing conditions there, the Aussies would be a hard nut to crack.
He, however, hoped that his boys would be consistent and play to their full potential in the tough fought matches against their hosts.
WASIM AKRAM CAUTIONS: Even Pakistan's former captain Wasim Akram has cautioned the Pakistan team that they would find it very difficult in their three-Test series.
Wasim Akram, who captained Pakistan during their 3-0 defeat in the last tour of Australia in 1999, said: "I think Pakistan's tour of Australia will be very stiff and although Pakistan have always given tough time to Australia, they will find the current tour tougher than expected," he said.
He predicted that leg-spinner Shane Warne would be Pakistan's tormentor rather than the Australian pace attack.
"Pakistan will have to guard against Warne, who has always taken wickets against Pakistan and he will be a tough opponent in Australia," Wasim said.
He also called for spearhead bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami to shun "lacklustre" performances with a good showing.
SELECTION FLAWS: Coaching flaws apart, the selection of the team for the 70-day long tour has exposed the vision of chief selector Wasim Bari and his associates.
Surprisingly, the selection committee banked only on two openers and one wicket-keeper, ignoring the injury factor of the players on bouncy and hard tracks in Australia. It seems the selectors gave preference to strengthening the bowling department.
One does not know what was the criterion of selection. If the performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was the basis of selection of the players, the selection of pacers Khalil and Asif was all right, but there was no need for two extra pacers in the presence of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, who will be supported by medium pacers Abdur Razzaq and Rana Naveedul Hassan
Had the selectors realised the importance of the strong batting line-up, they would not have ignored Bazid Khan, who hammered a triple century in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Moreover, the team also needed an experienced wicket-keeper for the long tour to lessen the pressure on young Kamran Akmal.
COACHING: As regards the coaching flaws, one may recall that on the eve of the team's departure for Australia, Woolmer painted a rosy picture, promising "surprises" against the Aussies, but the team's crushing defeat against the second string Western Australian side in their opening tour match was an eye opener for Woolmer's coaching expertise. It was really one of the many "surprises" Woolmer had made.
Since taking over as Pakistan coach over five months ago, Woolmer has talked much about talent in Pakistan and coaching strategies, but he could not diagnose the root causes of the team's unpredictable performance.
During his over five-month association with the team, it was hoped that Woolmer would have realised that the sports, especially cricket, has become hi-tech. It requires a careful study of the opponents' game plan. He was supposed to watch each and every move of the rival team players through the video graphics, prepared by a software analyst, and then prepare his team to counter the opponents' gimmicks to achieve positive results.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are too convinced that Woolmer is equipped with these expertise and knows how to apply his game plan and strategy for the Test series against Australia.
As such there is no excuse of his being puzzled by the team's performance against Western Australia, as the defeat indicated the limitations of our batsmen, including the senior ones.
Woolmer, it is believed, is familiar with the Australian conditions, especially wickets where the ball moves and Australian bowlers know how to tackle the batsmen, but he could not advised the boys to playing with some attacking flair with a view to tiring out the bowlers.
PREVIOUS TOURS: In the 1999 series, Australia won the first Test in Brisbane by 10 wickets, the second Test in Hobart by four wickets and the third one in Perth by an innings and 20 runs.
Pakistan's track record in the previous nine series is very poor. They have not won a Test series in Australia, although they drew thrice, in 1964-64; 1976-77; and 1979-80.
Australia defeated Pakistan in 15 Test matches of the six Test series, including two white wash, and seven Test matches ended as drawn.
Of the 26 Test matches, Pakistan could win only four since 1964-65 when they first faced Australia in Melbourne in the one-off Test.
MEMORABLE: The first-ever Test match between Pakistan and Australia in Australia was played at Melbourne in 1964-65, and was drawn. The match was memorable for Little Master Hanif Mohammad, who hammered 104 in the first innings followed by 93 in the second, and fast medium bowler Arif Butt, in his maiden Test, took six wickets for 89 runs in the Australia's first inning.
Now Pakistan's young and inexperienced team, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, is all set to face the world's strongest side, Australia, for the 10th Test series on their own soil.
Unless the Pakistani batsmen understood the behaviour of the wickets, adjust themselves in the Australian conditions and have the ability to mould themselves accordingly, Pakistan's chances for success would be brightened.
SCHEDULE: Pakistan have already played a warm up match on Dec. 7 and are playing a four-day game against Western Australia before going into the first Test match from Dec. 16 to 20 at Perth.
The second Test match will be played at Melbourne from Dec. 26 followed by third and final Test at Sydney from Jan 2, 2005.
After the Test series, Pakistan would participate in the annual triangular series, starting from Jan. 16, 2005 along with Australia and West Indies.
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