Pakistan and Australia will get some practice for next month's Twenty20 World Cup tournament when they play a one-off version of the game at the Dubai Stadium on Thursday. The match will be the last international encounter for both teams before next month's tournament in England, and Pakistan captain Younus Khan wants to make the best of it, after losing a one-day series against Australia.
"We need to take full advantage so that we know where we stand. It's good to have a match against world's top team," said Younus, whose team lost the one-day series that ended Sunday in the United Arab Emirates 3-2. In the inaugural World Twenty20, held in South Africa in 2007, Pakistan finished runners-up to India and beat Australia in the Super Eight Stage by six wickets - to date the only T20 match between the two teams.
But Younus believes Thursday's game will be no pushover. "We have to be at our best to win this match because Australia are dangerous in all forms of the game," said Younus.
Pakistan have included two teenagers in their squad of 15 for the World Twenty20, left-arm paceman Mohammad Aamir and spinning all-rounder Shazaib Hassan. However, both will be absent against Australia Thursday. Australia's stand-in skipper, Brad Haddin, taking over after Michael Clarke returned home for a rest after the one-day series, hoped for an exciting clash.
"It's been a great one-day series and Pakistan have some very talented players; a few of those guys can win a game by themselves," said Haddin. Australia will see the return of regular captain Ricky Ponting, batsman Michael Hussey and spearhead Mitchell Johnson - all rested for the Pakistan series - in the Twenty20 World Cup, along with Clarke.
Australia may also get a chance to assess further the fitness of pace bowler Brett Lee, who has joined the squad for Thursday's game and is tipped to play. "It's going to be an exciting time in the new stadium here and I know the guys always look forward, whether it's been a long tour or not, to a bit of fun in a Twenty20 match," said Haddin.
"I don't think it's that important to do with our preparation. After this game we've got a couple weeks to freshen up," he said. "We've been on the road a long time, so we've got the opportunity now to have a break. I think we just take Thursday night for what it is."
Pakistan: Younus Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal
Australia: Brad Haddin (capt), Nathan Bracken, Callum Ferguson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Ben Laughlin, Doug Bollinger, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Marcus North, Stuart Clark
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Zameer Haider (PAK)
Tv umpire: Nadeem Ghouri (PAK)
Match-referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL).