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Australia name squads for Pakistan tour
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The National Selection Panel (NSP) has named a 16-player squad for the three One-Day Internationals and T20 International on the Qantas tour of Pakistan.
Australia will tour Pakistan for the first time since 1998 for three Test matches, three One-Day Internationals and one T20 International.
The Test playing contingent and staff are due to depart for Pakistan later this week while white ball players and staff will join mid-tour for the One-Day Internationals and T20 International.
NB: NSP Chair of Selectors George Bailey will be available to discuss the squad at 11.30am AEDT this morning on Zoom: George Bailey
Australian men’s white ball squad for the Qantas tour of Pakistan:
Aaron Finch (VIC/Geelong Cricket Club) (c)
Sean Abbott (NSW/Parramatta District Cricket Club)
Ashton Agar (WA/University Cricket Club)
Jason Behrendorff (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Nathan Ellis (TAS/Lindisfarne Cricket Club)
Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
Mitchell Marsh (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
Ben McDermott (TAS/Lindisfarne Cricket Club)
Kane Richardson (SA/West Torrens Cricket Club)
Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
Marcus Stoinis (WA/Subiaco Floreat Cricket Club)
Adam Zampa (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
George Bailey, NSP Chair, said: "We have picked a talented and versatile squad with a number of challenges to juggle, including the tour structure of predominantly 50 over games, management of several multi format players in the medium to long term; and our need to build experience and depth in preparation for two short form World Cups within the next 18 months.
"We're confident the squad can both compete successfully on this tour and continue our progress towards those crucial tournaments."
Australia will tour Pakistan for the first time since 1998 for three Test matches, three One-Day Internationals and one T20 International.
The Test playing contingent and staff are due to depart for Pakistan later this week while white ball players and staff will join mid-tour for the One-Day Internationals and T20 International.
NB: NSP Chair of Selectors George Bailey will be available to discuss the squad at 11.30am AEDT this morning on Zoom: George Bailey
Australian men’s white ball squad for the Qantas tour of Pakistan:
Aaron Finch (VIC/Geelong Cricket Club) (c)
Sean Abbott (NSW/Parramatta District Cricket Club)
Ashton Agar (WA/University Cricket Club)
Jason Behrendorff (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Nathan Ellis (TAS/Lindisfarne Cricket Club)
Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
Mitchell Marsh (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
Ben McDermott (TAS/Lindisfarne Cricket Club)
Kane Richardson (SA/West Torrens Cricket Club)
Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
Marcus Stoinis (WA/Subiaco Floreat Cricket Club)
Adam Zampa (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
George Bailey, NSP Chair, said: "We have picked a talented and versatile squad with a number of challenges to juggle, including the tour structure of predominantly 50 over games, management of several multi format players in the medium to long term; and our need to build experience and depth in preparation for two short form World Cups within the next 18 months.
"We're confident the squad can both compete successfully on this tour and continue our progress towards those crucial tournaments."
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Australia's white-ball depth will be tested next month with David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Starc and Glenn Maxwell to all miss the limited-overs leg of their upcoming tour of Pakistan.
However, Cricket Australia will not be releasing its contracted stars to join the early stages of the Indian Premier League, with that tournament expected to overlap with the three ODIs and one-off T20, to be played in Rawalpindi from March 29.
Australia's ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Cummins, Warner and Hazlewood will all tour Pakistan for the three-Test series that starts next Friday in Rawalpinidi, and were all bought at this month's IPL 'mega auction' for deals in excess of A$1m, while Maxwell was retained on a A$2m contract.
As CA-contracted players, their annual leave period begins on April 6 – the day after the Pakistan tour concludes – and it is understood No Objection Certificates have been issued for all contracted players from that date.
The IPL schedule has not been confirmed but has widely been reported to be starting on the weekend of March 26-27, immediately following the third Pakistan-Australia Test in Lahore.
Starc, also in the Test squad, again opted out of the IPL auction for the fourth successive year and is estimated to have sacrificed about A$10m in potential earnings since last playing in the T20 tournament in 2015, while Maxwell has been granted leave from the Pakistan tour for his wedding.
Cricket Australia today named a "talented and versatile squad" that national selector George Bailey admitted had been difficult to pull together given the hectic schedule Australia faces, with a mid-year tour to Sri Lanka and home T20 World Cup looming.
Five members of the squad also have IPL deals, including Marcus Stoinis, who was picked up by new franchise Lucknow Super Giants for A$1.7m, and Mitch Marsh, who was bought for A$1.2m by the Delhi Capitals.
Sean Abbott was bought for A$446,000 by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Jason Behrendorff (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings) were also snapped up at the IPL auction for A$139,000 each.
With no direct flights between Pakistan and India, it's understood those players will need a connecting flight via Dubai and will have to quarantine on arrival in India after the Pakistan series.
With only one T20 to be played on the tour, Matthew Wade will not make the trip to Pakistan. The 34-year-old Tasmanian is due for a return to the IPL this year after being bought by new franchise Gujurat Titans at the auction for A$446,000.
Wade's absence from the Pakistan tour opens the door for Josh Inglis to take the gloves for Australia for the first time following his impressive debut series against Sri Lanka. Alex Carey, who captained Australia in their most recent ODI campaign last year, is expected to take the gloves for the one-day portion of the tour.
Australian players not on a CA contract such as Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams will be free to link up with their IPL clubs after any state commitments are over, as will A$1.53 million man Tim David and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile, neither of whom hold state contracts.
In Warner's absence, Ben McDermott looks set to continue his extended run as Aaron Finch's opening partner having opened in all five T20s against Sri Lanka, scoring a fifty in the opening match before scores of 18, 0, 9 and 3 in the following four games.
"We have picked a talented and versatile squad with a number of challenges to juggle, including the tour structure of predominantly 50 over games, management of several multi-format players in the medium to long term; and our need to build experience and depth in preparation for two short-form World Cups within the next 18 months," Bailey said in a statement.
"We're confident the squad can both compete successfully on this tour and continue our progress towards those crucial tournaments."
Australia have played only three ODI series since the start of the pandemic; against England in the UK in mid-2020, a home campaign against India later that year and three games against the West Indies last July when a number of big names, including Warner, Maxwell and Cummins, were missing.
A planned home ODI series against New Zealand this summer was scrapped due to NZ's changed quarantine rules, making this summer the first in 44 years where there has been no ODI cricket.
That series was to mark the Australia men's team's debut in a fresh Indigenous kit, which will now first be worn in the ODIs against Pakistan, the first time an Australian cricket team has worn an Indigenous-themed uniform abroad.
Australia's ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...r-cummins-starc-hazlewood-left-out/2022-02-22
However, Cricket Australia will not be releasing its contracted stars to join the early stages of the Indian Premier League, with that tournament expected to overlap with the three ODIs and one-off T20, to be played in Rawalpindi from March 29.
Australia's ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Cummins, Warner and Hazlewood will all tour Pakistan for the three-Test series that starts next Friday in Rawalpinidi, and were all bought at this month's IPL 'mega auction' for deals in excess of A$1m, while Maxwell was retained on a A$2m contract.
As CA-contracted players, their annual leave period begins on April 6 – the day after the Pakistan tour concludes – and it is understood No Objection Certificates have been issued for all contracted players from that date.
The IPL schedule has not been confirmed but has widely been reported to be starting on the weekend of March 26-27, immediately following the third Pakistan-Australia Test in Lahore.
Starc, also in the Test squad, again opted out of the IPL auction for the fourth successive year and is estimated to have sacrificed about A$10m in potential earnings since last playing in the T20 tournament in 2015, while Maxwell has been granted leave from the Pakistan tour for his wedding.
Cricket Australia today named a "talented and versatile squad" that national selector George Bailey admitted had been difficult to pull together given the hectic schedule Australia faces, with a mid-year tour to Sri Lanka and home T20 World Cup looming.
Five members of the squad also have IPL deals, including Marcus Stoinis, who was picked up by new franchise Lucknow Super Giants for A$1.7m, and Mitch Marsh, who was bought for A$1.2m by the Delhi Capitals.
Sean Abbott was bought for A$446,000 by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Jason Behrendorff (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings) were also snapped up at the IPL auction for A$139,000 each.
With no direct flights between Pakistan and India, it's understood those players will need a connecting flight via Dubai and will have to quarantine on arrival in India after the Pakistan series.
With only one T20 to be played on the tour, Matthew Wade will not make the trip to Pakistan. The 34-year-old Tasmanian is due for a return to the IPL this year after being bought by new franchise Gujurat Titans at the auction for A$446,000.
Wade's absence from the Pakistan tour opens the door for Josh Inglis to take the gloves for Australia for the first time following his impressive debut series against Sri Lanka. Alex Carey, who captained Australia in their most recent ODI campaign last year, is expected to take the gloves for the one-day portion of the tour.
Australian players not on a CA contract such as Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams will be free to link up with their IPL clubs after any state commitments are over, as will A$1.53 million man Tim David and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile, neither of whom hold state contracts.
In Warner's absence, Ben McDermott looks set to continue his extended run as Aaron Finch's opening partner having opened in all five T20s against Sri Lanka, scoring a fifty in the opening match before scores of 18, 0, 9 and 3 in the following four games.
"We have picked a talented and versatile squad with a number of challenges to juggle, including the tour structure of predominantly 50 over games, management of several multi-format players in the medium to long term; and our need to build experience and depth in preparation for two short-form World Cups within the next 18 months," Bailey said in a statement.
"We're confident the squad can both compete successfully on this tour and continue our progress towards those crucial tournaments."
Australia have played only three ODI series since the start of the pandemic; against England in the UK in mid-2020, a home campaign against India later that year and three games against the West Indies last July when a number of big names, including Warner, Maxwell and Cummins, were missing.
A planned home ODI series against New Zealand this summer was scrapped due to NZ's changed quarantine rules, making this summer the first in 44 years where there has been no ODI cricket.
That series was to mark the Australia men's team's debut in a fresh Indigenous kit, which will now first be worn in the ODIs against Pakistan, the first time an Australian cricket team has worn an Indigenous-themed uniform abroad.
Australia's ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...r-cummins-starc-hazlewood-left-out/2022-02-22
Rana
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I don’t understand
They didn’t select the IPL stars but they are also not allowing them to play in the IPL until the tour is concluded
Why don’t they just play them in the ODI side?
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Australia's ODI squad would have been little different even if there was no IPL, it's just how CA (rightly so) views white ball cricket outside ICC events. Bilateral white ball cricket is utterly irrelevant now, and there's no real future for it either.
Savak
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The IPL players will need to quarantine in India for a bit. Cricket Australia could have shown some respect to the PCB and Pakistan Cricket, this series in Pakistan is being played after 24 years. They should have sent their first choice ODI squad
Australia
never takes white ball cricket series seriously unless its an ICC event most bilateral series are used to check bench strentgh but come the big tournament all aces are in ready to go.I don't thik it has anything to do with PCB or IPL.
Australia rarely play their best team in bilateral LOIs against anyone.
They only take ICC events seriously in LOIs
Rana
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But Pakistan love it
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My impression from living here is quite different, unless one is a diehard cricket fan (and those tend to be few and far between), casual supporters only care about the PSL and ICC events. The only bilateral cricket that arguably still resonates among the general public is a potential series against India.
The PCB will learn to adapt soon enough, the future will be full of franchise cricket and a handful of high-profile Test series (such as the one against Australia next month). Think Ramiz Raja understands this well enough.
This is disappointing. I don't understand this though, is it just down to workload management? These guys aren't playing in the IPL during that time, so not sure what else it can be.
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Australia don't select their first-choice team for any bilateral white ball series, it's been the case for the best part of a decade. It's a deliberate policy to give chances to second-string players and increase the core group of international cricketers.
Thanks! I guess I hadn't really noticed.
This approach is quite fascinating tbh. I've felt that most teams are tempted to play full-strength whenever they can in order for the players to gel together. But I guess things are diff for Aus where they do not feel any difficulty in chopping and changing the squad.
NishanKonar
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Same situation in India. Nobody cares about bilateral ODI and T20 series. Only ICC events matter + IPL + overseas SENA test series
Smbhayi
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Isn't Sriram is a batsman? Remember him opening innings for india against Bangladesh..
Savak
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Apparently a few of the IPL franchises who have selected the Australian players in question have wished the players well and have promoted Australia's tour to Pakistan. Good on them
ExpressPacer
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Just looked up his stats. You're right! He was an absolutely prolific batsman but has downright pathetic bowling numbers. Surprising to see him play as a spin coach.
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Aussies' late start for IPL season confirmed
A host of star players won’t feature in the IPL until Australia’s tour of Pakistan is completed, whether they play in that series or not.
Australia men's team selection chair George Bailey has confirmed the big-name players absent from the upcoming limited-overs matches in Pakistan won't be available for their respective Indian Premier League franchises until that international commitment is completed.
But despite his earlier decree that "we certainly won't be releasing players to the IPL while Australia are playing", Bailey noted he remained supportive of Australian cricketers' involvement in the game's most lucrative domestic tournament because of the skill development it fosters.
Star quartet Pat Cummins, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell were notable absentees from the 16-man Australia squad named today for the three ODIs and solitary T20I that will follow next month's three Tests on the Qantas Tour of Pakistan.
While Maxwell was unavailable for Australia's first full international tour to Pakistan since 1998 due to his upcoming wedding, the remaining trio (along with fast bowler Mitchell Starc) will return home following the Tests and prior to taking up their IPL stints.
Although a schedule for this year's IPL is yet to be confirmed, it is reportedly set to begin on the final weekend of March and days before the first Pakistan-Australia ODI in Rawalpindi.
As a result, Australia representatives will be unable to join the two-month tournament until after the bilateral T20I is completed in Rawalpindi on April 5.
Bailey, who captained Australia in more than 50 limited-overs internationals and played almost as many matches in the IPL, was asked today if he saw an issue with players not representing their country in white-ball matches but then fronting up for a lengthy IPL stint immediately afterwards.
"That's a very black and white way of looking at it," Bailey said.
"We've worked really hard with our multi-format players over a long period, and not just this (Pakistan) series coming up that leads into the IPL.
"One of the things we're really keen to ensure is that we can maintain having our best Australian players playing for Australia for as long as possible, medium and longer-term.
"We're constantly managing and working with them around their own personal situations to make sure they get what they need, and also that we can continue to get what we need.
"So from that point of view, the NSP (national selection panel) will continue to be quite pragmatic around how we approach each series."
Bailey said it was his understanding CA's Executive General Manager High Performance and National Teams, Ben Oliver, was finalising protocols that would dictate no centrally contracted Australia player was available to join an IPL team until April 6.
Of the 13 Australians retained on existing IPL deals or bought at this month's mega-auction, the only ones currently not bound by CA contracts (and thereby available from the tournament's start) are Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, Nathan Coulter-Nile and $A1.53 million purchase Tim David.
Australia faces a hectic men's team playing schedule over the next couple of years across all formats as they honour Test commitments postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for World Cups in ODI (India in 2023) and T20 (Australia later this year) competitions.
However, amid juggling the need for rest and respite among all-format players such as Cummins, Hazlewood and Warner, Bailey sees a benefit beyond the purely commercial for players' involvement in the IPL which continues to operate largely free from scheduling conflict with international fixtures.
"I fully respect the IPL as a tournament," Bailey said when asked about the perpetual question as to whether players should prioritise country or cash.
"I think they're at the forefront of the T20 game.
"I think it's been a really important tournament for the skill development of some of our players, so it's important not to underestimate that going forward."
While admitting selection of the squad for the limited-overs leg of the Pakistan tour had been "a bit of a challenge", the opportunity to deploy some different faces will be instructive for selectors as they begin to ponder their options for next year's ICC World Cup.
Due to COVID-19 curtailment of international fixtures and a focus on T20 cricket with back-to-back World Cups in that format in 2021 and 2022, Australia has played just 16 ODIs since their semi-final loss to eventual champions England at the most recent 50-over World Cup 30 months ago.
And even though pitch conditions in Pakistan during March are unlikely to resemble those rolled out for the global 50-over showpiece scheduled for India in October and November 2023, Bailey concedes any experience in alien terrain will be invaluable for Australia's players.
"I think sub-continent exposure is going to be important," he said.
"I don't really know what to expect from the Pakistan wickets, and I don't know of similarities with India where the World Cup is going to be.
"But any sub-continent exposure is fantastic.
"Pakistan's a place we don't know a lot about, so to be heading off on a tour and not have a really clear-cut idea of what's ahead is pretty exciting."
Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...s-cummins-warner-hazlewood-maxwell/2022-02-22
A host of star players won’t feature in the IPL until Australia’s tour of Pakistan is completed, whether they play in that series or not.
Australia men's team selection chair George Bailey has confirmed the big-name players absent from the upcoming limited-overs matches in Pakistan won't be available for their respective Indian Premier League franchises until that international commitment is completed.
But despite his earlier decree that "we certainly won't be releasing players to the IPL while Australia are playing", Bailey noted he remained supportive of Australian cricketers' involvement in the game's most lucrative domestic tournament because of the skill development it fosters.
Star quartet Pat Cummins, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell were notable absentees from the 16-man Australia squad named today for the three ODIs and solitary T20I that will follow next month's three Tests on the Qantas Tour of Pakistan.
While Maxwell was unavailable for Australia's first full international tour to Pakistan since 1998 due to his upcoming wedding, the remaining trio (along with fast bowler Mitchell Starc) will return home following the Tests and prior to taking up their IPL stints.
Although a schedule for this year's IPL is yet to be confirmed, it is reportedly set to begin on the final weekend of March and days before the first Pakistan-Australia ODI in Rawalpindi.
As a result, Australia representatives will be unable to join the two-month tournament until after the bilateral T20I is completed in Rawalpindi on April 5.
Bailey, who captained Australia in more than 50 limited-overs internationals and played almost as many matches in the IPL, was asked today if he saw an issue with players not representing their country in white-ball matches but then fronting up for a lengthy IPL stint immediately afterwards.
"That's a very black and white way of looking at it," Bailey said.
"We've worked really hard with our multi-format players over a long period, and not just this (Pakistan) series coming up that leads into the IPL.
"One of the things we're really keen to ensure is that we can maintain having our best Australian players playing for Australia for as long as possible, medium and longer-term.
"We're constantly managing and working with them around their own personal situations to make sure they get what they need, and also that we can continue to get what we need.
"So from that point of view, the NSP (national selection panel) will continue to be quite pragmatic around how we approach each series."
Bailey said it was his understanding CA's Executive General Manager High Performance and National Teams, Ben Oliver, was finalising protocols that would dictate no centrally contracted Australia player was available to join an IPL team until April 6.
Of the 13 Australians retained on existing IPL deals or bought at this month's mega-auction, the only ones currently not bound by CA contracts (and thereby available from the tournament's start) are Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, Nathan Coulter-Nile and $A1.53 million purchase Tim David.
Australia faces a hectic men's team playing schedule over the next couple of years across all formats as they honour Test commitments postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for World Cups in ODI (India in 2023) and T20 (Australia later this year) competitions.
However, amid juggling the need for rest and respite among all-format players such as Cummins, Hazlewood and Warner, Bailey sees a benefit beyond the purely commercial for players' involvement in the IPL which continues to operate largely free from scheduling conflict with international fixtures.
"I fully respect the IPL as a tournament," Bailey said when asked about the perpetual question as to whether players should prioritise country or cash.
"I think they're at the forefront of the T20 game.
"I think it's been a really important tournament for the skill development of some of our players, so it's important not to underestimate that going forward."
While admitting selection of the squad for the limited-overs leg of the Pakistan tour had been "a bit of a challenge", the opportunity to deploy some different faces will be instructive for selectors as they begin to ponder their options for next year's ICC World Cup.
Due to COVID-19 curtailment of international fixtures and a focus on T20 cricket with back-to-back World Cups in that format in 2021 and 2022, Australia has played just 16 ODIs since their semi-final loss to eventual champions England at the most recent 50-over World Cup 30 months ago.
And even though pitch conditions in Pakistan during March are unlikely to resemble those rolled out for the global 50-over showpiece scheduled for India in October and November 2023, Bailey concedes any experience in alien terrain will be invaluable for Australia's players.
"I think sub-continent exposure is going to be important," he said.
"I don't really know what to expect from the Pakistan wickets, and I don't know of similarities with India where the World Cup is going to be.
"But any sub-continent exposure is fantastic.
"Pakistan's a place we don't know a lot about, so to be heading off on a tour and not have a really clear-cut idea of what's ahead is pretty exciting."
Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...s-cummins-warner-hazlewood-maxwell/2022-02-22
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Australia's interim men's team coach Andrew McDonald concedes planning for the first tour to Pakistan in 24 years requires "educated guesses" but is confident his 18-man squad provides sufficient flexibility to cover all contingencies.
The group McDonald will lead in concert with Test captain Pat Cummins is currently undertaking pre-series training in Melbourne with players observing isolation protocols before boarding a plane for Islamabad, where the tour begins in nearby Rawalpindi on March 4.
That will mean Australia's first Test touring party to the Islamic republic since 1998 will have less than a week to sum up conditions for the first of three Tests, with early intelligence indicating Rawalpindi will offer encouragement to fast bowlers.
However, McDonald admits the usually detailed planning that takes place prior to such a significant overseas campaign has taken on a broader focus in recent days to ensure the visitors are as prepared as possible for the month-long tour.
"We're taking some educated guesses based on what we're seeing in recent times there," McDonald told reporters today.
"We're looking at the PSL (ongoing Pakistan Super League tournament), looking at the (centre wicket) squares, and it's obviously at the back end of their season as well.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them).
"Our preparation probably takes on a greater range and is less specific than what we would do if we knew exactly what we were getting ... and is a lot wider in terms of the conversations that we're having.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
One of those options is the potential deployment of allrounder Cameron Green as a front-line seamer should conditions in Rawalpindi, Karachi (second Test) or Lahore (third) dictate Australia include two specialist spinners in their starting XI.
Green enjoyed a break-out summer in Australia's 4-0 Vodafone Ashes defeat of England in which he averaged 32.57 (more than celebrated teammate Steve Smith) with the bat and claimed 13 wickets at 15.76 with his more-than-useful seamers.
However, given the 22-year-old's history of back injuries and the fact he entered Test cricket in 2020 while observing a strictly monitored bowling workloads program, he sent down only 80 overs during his five Ashes appearances this summer.
McDonald said concerns related to heaping extra responsibility upon Green as a third quick would likely be mitigated by conditions that more obviously favoured spinners, plus the potential to play an auxiliary allrounder such as Green's WA teammate Mitchell Marsh to further reduce his bowling requirements.
"It's a definite option if we did go that way," McDonald said of Green's possible use as a first-change quick.
"Cameron Green would bowl a lot more overs in the first innings than potentially he normally would, but over the course of the game the spinners would probably pick up a lot more of the work at the back end and in the second innings of the game.
"But we're cautious that it's a long-term journey for Cameron Green and what he's been able to deliver has been second-to-none so far.
“So we're excited that he could be able to do that role. And then we've got other options in terms of Mitch Marsh if you were to bring him in and play two allrounders.”
McDonald confirmed recalled veteran Usman Khawaja was expected to partner his junior cricket teammate David Warner at the top of Australia's batting order, with "spare" batter Marcus Harris being viewed as an option to bat anywhere in the top six should enforced changes be required.
He also downplayed the relevance of experience incumbent quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood might have gleaned from their 2007 tour to Pakistan with Australia's under-19 team, when they played in Lahore against a team that included Test-capped opener Shan Masood.
McDonald said despite Pakistan teams having a reputation for being 'mercurial' with performances that oscillate wildly between remarkable and lamentable, the Australians had an idea of what to expect even though their previous four 'away' series against Pakistan had been variously played in Sri Lanka, the UK and United Arab Emirates.
"It's difficult to tell (whether) Pakistan in Pakistan is different to Pakistan in the UAE," McDonald said.
"It's said that Pakistan are unpredictable but I think that in their own conditions, there's an element of predictability in that they like to draw games out, they play the long game, they're patient and they play their conditions well.
"It's been well documented that Australian teams struggle in the subcontinent and have had difficulty.
"They've got some great spin bowling options, and their fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi keeps getting better every year with his left-arm pace. He swings the ball, and can reverse swing the ball as well.
"They've got a sensational pace attack and we're going to be tested with that ... but we've got some exciting players as well with Mitchell Starc, and Cummins and Hazlewood and Green.
"I think it's going to be a really good contest."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...-preparation-coach-andrew-mcdonald/2022-02-23
The group McDonald will lead in concert with Test captain Pat Cummins is currently undertaking pre-series training in Melbourne with players observing isolation protocols before boarding a plane for Islamabad, where the tour begins in nearby Rawalpindi on March 4.
That will mean Australia's first Test touring party to the Islamic republic since 1998 will have less than a week to sum up conditions for the first of three Tests, with early intelligence indicating Rawalpindi will offer encouragement to fast bowlers.
However, McDonald admits the usually detailed planning that takes place prior to such a significant overseas campaign has taken on a broader focus in recent days to ensure the visitors are as prepared as possible for the month-long tour.
"We're taking some educated guesses based on what we're seeing in recent times there," McDonald told reporters today.
"We're looking at the PSL (ongoing Pakistan Super League tournament), looking at the (centre wicket) squares, and it's obviously at the back end of their season as well.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them).
"Our preparation probably takes on a greater range and is less specific than what we would do if we knew exactly what we were getting ... and is a lot wider in terms of the conversations that we're having.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
One of those options is the potential deployment of allrounder Cameron Green as a front-line seamer should conditions in Rawalpindi, Karachi (second Test) or Lahore (third) dictate Australia include two specialist spinners in their starting XI.
Green enjoyed a break-out summer in Australia's 4-0 Vodafone Ashes defeat of England in which he averaged 32.57 (more than celebrated teammate Steve Smith) with the bat and claimed 13 wickets at 15.76 with his more-than-useful seamers.
However, given the 22-year-old's history of back injuries and the fact he entered Test cricket in 2020 while observing a strictly monitored bowling workloads program, he sent down only 80 overs during his five Ashes appearances this summer.
McDonald said concerns related to heaping extra responsibility upon Green as a third quick would likely be mitigated by conditions that more obviously favoured spinners, plus the potential to play an auxiliary allrounder such as Green's WA teammate Mitchell Marsh to further reduce his bowling requirements.
"It's a definite option if we did go that way," McDonald said of Green's possible use as a first-change quick.
"Cameron Green would bowl a lot more overs in the first innings than potentially he normally would, but over the course of the game the spinners would probably pick up a lot more of the work at the back end and in the second innings of the game.
"But we're cautious that it's a long-term journey for Cameron Green and what he's been able to deliver has been second-to-none so far.
“So we're excited that he could be able to do that role. And then we've got other options in terms of Mitch Marsh if you were to bring him in and play two allrounders.”
McDonald confirmed recalled veteran Usman Khawaja was expected to partner his junior cricket teammate David Warner at the top of Australia's batting order, with "spare" batter Marcus Harris being viewed as an option to bat anywhere in the top six should enforced changes be required.
He also downplayed the relevance of experience incumbent quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood might have gleaned from their 2007 tour to Pakistan with Australia's under-19 team, when they played in Lahore against a team that included Test-capped opener Shan Masood.
McDonald said despite Pakistan teams having a reputation for being 'mercurial' with performances that oscillate wildly between remarkable and lamentable, the Australians had an idea of what to expect even though their previous four 'away' series against Pakistan had been variously played in Sri Lanka, the UK and United Arab Emirates.
"It's difficult to tell (whether) Pakistan in Pakistan is different to Pakistan in the UAE," McDonald said.
"It's said that Pakistan are unpredictable but I think that in their own conditions, there's an element of predictability in that they like to draw games out, they play the long game, they're patient and they play their conditions well.
"It's been well documented that Australian teams struggle in the subcontinent and have had difficulty.
"They've got some great spin bowling options, and their fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi keeps getting better every year with his left-arm pace. He swings the ball, and can reverse swing the ball as well.
"They've got a sensational pace attack and we're going to be tested with that ... but we've got some exciting players as well with Mitchell Starc, and Cummins and Hazlewood and Green.
"I think it's going to be a really good contest."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...-preparation-coach-andrew-mcdonald/2022-02-23
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 218,138
Test skipper Pat Cummins said on Friday his team were "comfortable" with security arrangements and excited by what lies ahead, as Australia prepare to jet into Pakistan on their first tour since 1998.
They are due to leave over the weekend ahead of the first of three Tests in Rawalpindi on March 4 -- giving them less than a week to acclimatise and without any warm-up matches.
It will be followed by Tests in Karachi and Lahore before three ODIs and a single Twenty20, all in Rawalpindi.
"We've got to a place where everyone hopping on the plane is comfortable with where it's all sitting. It's been a really thorough body of work that the security and the logistics teams have worked through," Cummins said.
"And obviously the added layer of bio-security in these times as well. So we're feeling really good and once we get over there, we're going to be able to just concentrate on the cricket.
"More than anything it's a really special tour," he added. "We're going to fly over there and experience something for the first time. We're really excited, everyone is in a good place."
Cricket-mad Pakistan endured a long spell without a visit from an international team following a terror attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan side in Lahore in 2009.
They were forced to play their home international matches abroad -- mostly in the United Arab Emirates -- until 2015, when normal service tentatively resumed.
But concerns surfaced again last year when New Zealand quit their first tour to the country in 18 years shortly before the opening match was due to start following a security alert.
Australia head into the series on the back of a 4-0 Ashes thumping of England over the home summer, with the starting XI for Rawalpindi expected to be much the same.
Usman Khawaja -- who was born in Pakistan -- is set to partner David Warner at the top of the order ahead of Marcus Harris, who was dropped during the Ashes.
Cummins confirmed Steve Smith had recovered from a concussion during their recent Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka and will retain his place.
Otherwise, the side is set to mirror the one that faced England in the fifth Test last month -- with Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc providing pace and Nathan Lyon spin.
- Balanced -
However, interim coach Andrew McDonald -- in charge after Justin Langer quit after the Ashes -- admitted there had been "educated guesses" of how the pitches would play with two extra spinners in Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar also in the squad.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them)," he said.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
The squad has spent the past few days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground preparing, with a spin net set up and the pacemen practising reverse swing, both of which will likely be a factor on the sub-continent.
"We don't really know what to expect over there, sub-continent Test matches can be played slowly or quickly," said Cummins.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas but if we want to be number one in the world we have got to have a really good showing on these sub-continent tours."
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
https://sports.yahoo.com/australia-comfortable-security-eve-pakistan-054325731.html?guccounter=1
They are due to leave over the weekend ahead of the first of three Tests in Rawalpindi on March 4 -- giving them less than a week to acclimatise and without any warm-up matches.
It will be followed by Tests in Karachi and Lahore before three ODIs and a single Twenty20, all in Rawalpindi.
"We've got to a place where everyone hopping on the plane is comfortable with where it's all sitting. It's been a really thorough body of work that the security and the logistics teams have worked through," Cummins said.
"And obviously the added layer of bio-security in these times as well. So we're feeling really good and once we get over there, we're going to be able to just concentrate on the cricket.
"More than anything it's a really special tour," he added. "We're going to fly over there and experience something for the first time. We're really excited, everyone is in a good place."
Cricket-mad Pakistan endured a long spell without a visit from an international team following a terror attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan side in Lahore in 2009.
They were forced to play their home international matches abroad -- mostly in the United Arab Emirates -- until 2015, when normal service tentatively resumed.
But concerns surfaced again last year when New Zealand quit their first tour to the country in 18 years shortly before the opening match was due to start following a security alert.
Australia head into the series on the back of a 4-0 Ashes thumping of England over the home summer, with the starting XI for Rawalpindi expected to be much the same.
Usman Khawaja -- who was born in Pakistan -- is set to partner David Warner at the top of the order ahead of Marcus Harris, who was dropped during the Ashes.
Cummins confirmed Steve Smith had recovered from a concussion during their recent Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka and will retain his place.
Otherwise, the side is set to mirror the one that faced England in the fifth Test last month -- with Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc providing pace and Nathan Lyon spin.
- Balanced -
However, interim coach Andrew McDonald -- in charge after Justin Langer quit after the Ashes -- admitted there had been "educated guesses" of how the pitches would play with two extra spinners in Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar also in the squad.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them)," he said.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
The squad has spent the past few days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground preparing, with a spin net set up and the pacemen practising reverse swing, both of which will likely be a factor on the sub-continent.
"We don't really know what to expect over there, sub-continent Test matches can be played slowly or quickly," said Cummins.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas but if we want to be number one in the world we have got to have a really good showing on these sub-continent tours."
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
https://sports.yahoo.com/australia-comfortable-security-eve-pakistan-054325731.html?guccounter=1
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 218,138
Test skipper Pat Cummins said on Friday his team were "comfortable" with security arrangements and excited by what lies ahead, as Australia prepare to jet into Pakistan on their first tour since 1998.
They are due to leave over the weekend ahead of the first of three Tests in Rawalpindi on March 4 -- giving them less than a week to acclimatise and without any warm-up matches.
It will be followed by Tests in Karachi and Lahore before three ODIs and a single Twenty20, all in Rawalpindi.
"We've got to a place where everyone hopping on the plane is comfortable with where it's all sitting. It's been a really thorough body of work that the security and the logistics teams have worked through," Cummins said.
"And obviously the added layer of bio-security in these times as well. So we're feeling really good and once we get over there, we're going to be able to just concentrate on the cricket.
"More than anything it's a really special tour," he added. "We're going to fly over there and experience something for the first time. We're really excited, everyone is in a good place."
Cricket-mad Pakistan endured a long spell without a visit from an international team following a terror attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan side in Lahore in 2009.
They were forced to play their home international matches abroad -- mostly in the United Arab Emirates -- until 2015, when normal service tentatively resumed.
But concerns surfaced again last year when New Zealand quit their first tour to the country in 18 years shortly before the opening match was due to start following a security alert.
Australia head into the series on the back of a 4-0 Ashes thumping of England over the home summer, with the starting XI for Rawalpindi expected to be much the same.
Usman Khawaja -- who was born in Pakistan -- is set to partner David Warner at the top of the order ahead of Marcus Harris, who was dropped during the Ashes.
Cummins confirmed Steve Smith had recovered from a concussion during their recent Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka and will retain his place.
Otherwise, the side is set to mirror the one that faced England in the fifth Test last month -- with Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc providing pace and Nathan Lyon spin.
- Balanced -
However, interim coach Andrew McDonald -- in charge after Justin Langer quit after the Ashes -- admitted there had been "educated guesses" of how the pitches would play with two extra spinners in Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar also in the squad.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them)," he said.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
The squad has spent the past few days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground preparing, with a spin net set up and the pacemen practising reverse swing, both of which will likely be a factor on the sub-continent.
"We don't really know what to expect over there, sub-continent Test matches can be played slowly or quickly," said Cummins.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas but if we want to be number one in the world we have got to have a really good showing on these sub-continent tours."
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
https://sports.yahoo.com/australia-comfortable-security-eve-pakistan-054325731.html?guccounter=1
They are due to leave over the weekend ahead of the first of three Tests in Rawalpindi on March 4 -- giving them less than a week to acclimatise and without any warm-up matches.
It will be followed by Tests in Karachi and Lahore before three ODIs and a single Twenty20, all in Rawalpindi.
"We've got to a place where everyone hopping on the plane is comfortable with where it's all sitting. It's been a really thorough body of work that the security and the logistics teams have worked through," Cummins said.
"And obviously the added layer of bio-security in these times as well. So we're feeling really good and once we get over there, we're going to be able to just concentrate on the cricket.
"More than anything it's a really special tour," he added. "We're going to fly over there and experience something for the first time. We're really excited, everyone is in a good place."
Cricket-mad Pakistan endured a long spell without a visit from an international team following a terror attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan side in Lahore in 2009.
They were forced to play their home international matches abroad -- mostly in the United Arab Emirates -- until 2015, when normal service tentatively resumed.
But concerns surfaced again last year when New Zealand quit their first tour to the country in 18 years shortly before the opening match was due to start following a security alert.
Australia head into the series on the back of a 4-0 Ashes thumping of England over the home summer, with the starting XI for Rawalpindi expected to be much the same.
Usman Khawaja -- who was born in Pakistan -- is set to partner David Warner at the top of the order ahead of Marcus Harris, who was dropped during the Ashes.
Cummins confirmed Steve Smith had recovered from a concussion during their recent Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka and will retain his place.
Otherwise, the side is set to mirror the one that faced England in the fifth Test last month -- with Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc providing pace and Nathan Lyon spin.
- Balanced -
However, interim coach Andrew McDonald -- in charge after Justin Langer quit after the Ashes -- admitted there had been "educated guesses" of how the pitches would play with two extra spinners in Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar also in the squad.
"So we're covering all bases there, from turning wickets to potentially wickets with grass on (them)," he said.
"But we feel the squad's balanced and there's enough options for whatever the case may be when we land on the ground."
The squad has spent the past few days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground preparing, with a spin net set up and the pacemen practising reverse swing, both of which will likely be a factor on the sub-continent.
"We don't really know what to expect over there, sub-continent Test matches can be played slowly or quickly," said Cummins.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas but if we want to be number one in the world we have got to have a really good showing on these sub-continent tours."
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
https://sports.yahoo.com/australia-comfortable-security-eve-pakistan-054325731.html?guccounter=1
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 218,138
Pat Cummins has flagged the changed mindset his all-conquering Ashes squad will take into their next Test assignment, declaring a hard-fought draw will be valued as highly as a win over Pakistan in unfamiliar subcontinent conditions.
After a home summer in which Australia breezed past England in four of the five matches against their historic rivals, the new Test skipper is expecting a significantly tougher battle on his team's first tour to Pakistan in 24 years, which begins next week.
And while Cummins concedes he has little idea as to what sort of conditions and characteristics await his 18-man squad when they begin preparation for the opening Test at Rawalpindi, he is expecting the three Tests of the tour to run their full distance.
Australia's interim coach Andrew McDonald noted earlier this week that Pakistan like to play "the long game" in their home conditions, and Cummins is relishing the likelihood of getting involved in tactical and physical arm wrestles that extend for five days.
As a result, he has foreshadowed Australia will look to alter the Test blueprint they take into matches on familiar surfaces by potentially reducing the rate at which they score and through being prepared to "grind out" a draw or two rather than pushing relentlessly for victories.
That's not to say the current number-one ranked men's Test team won't be contemplating a three-nil sweep of Pakistan when they arrive in Islamabad this weekend, but rather their ambition will be tempered to reflect their environment.
"The most obvious one is to win the series," Cummins told reporters today when asked his goals and ambitions for Australia's first Test tour to Pakistan since 1998.
"But I think that might not necessarily look like two wins and one loss or whatever, it might be having to grind out some tough Test matches and hold out for a draw.
"A hard-fought, five-day grinding out for a draw in the context of a three-match series might be as good as a win.
Green could be used as a third seamer on Pakistan tour
"We don't really know what we're going to expect over there, but subcontinent Test matches can be played quickly or can be played slowly."
Australia won three, drew 10 and lost seven of the 20 Tests they played in Pakistan between 1956 and 1998.
While Cummins is just five Tests into his tenure as Australia captain having taken over from Tim Paine shortly before the start of the Vodafone Ashes, he boasts even less experience playing red-ball cricket on Asian pitches.
But he's seen enough in the four subcontinent Tests he's been part of – two in India and as many in Bangladesh, all of them in 2017 – to know how attritional the game can be in those conditions.
His first Test back after a six-year injury lay-off came on what he describes as "the flattest pitch ever" in Ranchi during Australia's most recent tour to India, where he sent down 39 overs in his team's only bowling innings of a dour draw from which he claimed 4-106.
Not only will the 28-year-old be required to quickly re-acquaint himself with the vastly different surfaces, he will carry the added burden of orchestrating bowling changes, fielding positions and other tactical measures during potentially long, hot days in the dirt.
It will present a marked contrast to the Ashes campaign in which England only managed to bat beyond 100 overs in three of their 10 innings, with a high watermark of 113 overs faced in their ultimately unsuccessful last-day defiance in the second Test at Adelaide, a game Cummins missed.
Best of the 2021-22 Ashes: Every Pat Cummins wicket
"I think I'll be able to manage," Cummins said of the likely need to marry physical endurance with leadership oversight.
"It's something I'll look at ... they might be long innings, but it's still 90 overs a day and I think that's totally manageable.
"This Test summer, a lot of Test matches only went three days.
"My first probably 15 to 20 Test matches I played, it felt like every one went for five days so I really like getting into the grind and I think that's going to be a challenge for our team, and one that hopefully we can embrace.
"That's just a reality of Test cricket.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas so if we want to be number one in the world, we need to have a really good showing on these subcontinent tours, and that starts in Pakistan."
Australia might not have played Test cricket in Pakistan since the previous century, but their record in the format across all Asian venues (including the UAE, where Pakistan have hosted most of their 'home' series since then) is grim.
Since their historic – and as-yet unrepeated – series win in India in 2004, Australia have recorded five wins from 28 Tests, with three of those coming in Bangladesh (in 2006 and 2017).
And although the touring party remains unsure of what sort of surfaces await for the Tests in Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore, their pre-departure training in Melbourne focused heavily on bowling and batting against spin during today's final hit-out.
Cummins said while he anticipated spin and reverse swing would be influential factors in Pakistan, the squad had not engaged in specific drills to instill defensive capabilities into their batting and bowling even though he had foreshadowed the need for them to be ready for "grinding out".
"The reality is every Test you try to get ready for the long game, I think it's as much a mental thing as physical training," he said.
"Obviously us bowlers getting ready for the Test matches, we've had some really long spells in the nets so we're used to it.
"But I think it's that mindset of being okay with ticking along at two runs an over, whereas here you might be used to three or four runs an over.
"It throws up a different challenge to cricket we've grown up playing here in Australia, and watching.
"There's probably going to be times when I have to be more creative and try a few different things, be brave, so I'm excited for that challenge."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/pat...e-ashes-england-spin-reverse-swing/2022-02-25
After a home summer in which Australia breezed past England in four of the five matches against their historic rivals, the new Test skipper is expecting a significantly tougher battle on his team's first tour to Pakistan in 24 years, which begins next week.
And while Cummins concedes he has little idea as to what sort of conditions and characteristics await his 18-man squad when they begin preparation for the opening Test at Rawalpindi, he is expecting the three Tests of the tour to run their full distance.
Australia's interim coach Andrew McDonald noted earlier this week that Pakistan like to play "the long game" in their home conditions, and Cummins is relishing the likelihood of getting involved in tactical and physical arm wrestles that extend for five days.
As a result, he has foreshadowed Australia will look to alter the Test blueprint they take into matches on familiar surfaces by potentially reducing the rate at which they score and through being prepared to "grind out" a draw or two rather than pushing relentlessly for victories.
That's not to say the current number-one ranked men's Test team won't be contemplating a three-nil sweep of Pakistan when they arrive in Islamabad this weekend, but rather their ambition will be tempered to reflect their environment.
"The most obvious one is to win the series," Cummins told reporters today when asked his goals and ambitions for Australia's first Test tour to Pakistan since 1998.
"But I think that might not necessarily look like two wins and one loss or whatever, it might be having to grind out some tough Test matches and hold out for a draw.
"A hard-fought, five-day grinding out for a draw in the context of a three-match series might be as good as a win.
Green could be used as a third seamer on Pakistan tour
"We don't really know what we're going to expect over there, but subcontinent Test matches can be played quickly or can be played slowly."
Australia won three, drew 10 and lost seven of the 20 Tests they played in Pakistan between 1956 and 1998.
While Cummins is just five Tests into his tenure as Australia captain having taken over from Tim Paine shortly before the start of the Vodafone Ashes, he boasts even less experience playing red-ball cricket on Asian pitches.
But he's seen enough in the four subcontinent Tests he's been part of – two in India and as many in Bangladesh, all of them in 2017 – to know how attritional the game can be in those conditions.
His first Test back after a six-year injury lay-off came on what he describes as "the flattest pitch ever" in Ranchi during Australia's most recent tour to India, where he sent down 39 overs in his team's only bowling innings of a dour draw from which he claimed 4-106.
Not only will the 28-year-old be required to quickly re-acquaint himself with the vastly different surfaces, he will carry the added burden of orchestrating bowling changes, fielding positions and other tactical measures during potentially long, hot days in the dirt.
It will present a marked contrast to the Ashes campaign in which England only managed to bat beyond 100 overs in three of their 10 innings, with a high watermark of 113 overs faced in their ultimately unsuccessful last-day defiance in the second Test at Adelaide, a game Cummins missed.
Best of the 2021-22 Ashes: Every Pat Cummins wicket
"I think I'll be able to manage," Cummins said of the likely need to marry physical endurance with leadership oversight.
"It's something I'll look at ... they might be long innings, but it's still 90 overs a day and I think that's totally manageable.
"This Test summer, a lot of Test matches only went three days.
"My first probably 15 to 20 Test matches I played, it felt like every one went for five days so I really like getting into the grind and I think that's going to be a challenge for our team, and one that hopefully we can embrace.
"That's just a reality of Test cricket.
"For a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas so if we want to be number one in the world, we need to have a really good showing on these subcontinent tours, and that starts in Pakistan."
Australia might not have played Test cricket in Pakistan since the previous century, but their record in the format across all Asian venues (including the UAE, where Pakistan have hosted most of their 'home' series since then) is grim.
Since their historic – and as-yet unrepeated – series win in India in 2004, Australia have recorded five wins from 28 Tests, with three of those coming in Bangladesh (in 2006 and 2017).
And although the touring party remains unsure of what sort of surfaces await for the Tests in Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore, their pre-departure training in Melbourne focused heavily on bowling and batting against spin during today's final hit-out.
Cummins said while he anticipated spin and reverse swing would be influential factors in Pakistan, the squad had not engaged in specific drills to instill defensive capabilities into their batting and bowling even though he had foreshadowed the need for them to be ready for "grinding out".
"The reality is every Test you try to get ready for the long game, I think it's as much a mental thing as physical training," he said.
"Obviously us bowlers getting ready for the Test matches, we've had some really long spells in the nets so we're used to it.
"But I think it's that mindset of being okay with ticking along at two runs an over, whereas here you might be used to three or four runs an over.
"It throws up a different challenge to cricket we've grown up playing here in Australia, and watching.
"There's probably going to be times when I have to be more creative and try a few different things, be brave, so I'm excited for that challenge."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/pat...e-ashes-england-spin-reverse-swing/2022-02-25
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How about the absolute peach from Mitch Swepson at the 30-second mark here!!!<br><br>The Aussies have been training on a roughed-up spinners pitch ahead of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvAUS</a> series <a href="https://t.co/WEFQWGuF3d">pic.twitter.com/WEFQWGuF3d</a></p>— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1497144077514461184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Don't think they'll survive on slow pitches... Indian pitches are rank turners.. Pak pitches are slow and low in tests... Only subcontinent players can survive there... Aus will fail miserably if we don't provide them batting paradises.. Only warner and Smith are capable.. Rest teams very average in these conditions
Khawaja is a good player of spin azwell.
Hassaan HS
Tape Ball Regular
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Aussie ‘intern’ Fawad backs Swepson for debut
"What I missed out on in my career, I hope another leg-spinner doesn’t miss out on those (same) things, so I would love to help them," Fawad, who played five limited-overs matches for Australia and came close to a Test berth in the Caribbean in 2015, told cricket.com.au.
Preparing fellow wrist-spinner Swepson for a debut in a format increasingly unfriendly to their craft, even on the subcontinent, shapes as a worthy first project.
Wrist-spin has gone out of fashion in Test cricket in recent years (even as they have thrived in T20s) with Pakistani Yasir Shah the only one to have taken more than 100 Test wickets over the past decade.
Of the 18 most prolific wicket-takers in Asia over that period, Yasir is the only leg-spinner among them and even he has now fallen out of favour with Pakistan.
Pakistan’s recent Test success – they are undefeated in home series since Test cricket resumed there in 2019 and have won nine of their last 10 Tests overall – has been underpinned by their quicks and finger-spinners, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.
That largely mirrors the inclination for Test teams in Asia towards slow bowlers who can deliver quick, accurate side-spinners aimed the stumps. Combined with turning surfaces, that has proved a winning strategy.
"The problem here in the subcontinent is that you have to bowl into the wicket with side-spin and you have to bowl about 90kph," said Fawad, who has played at each of the three venues for the three-Test series beginning Friday.
"If you bowl slower and with overspin, it's easier to face – you don't get much support from the wicket.
"Leg spinners don't produce that pace consistently. It's easier for the finger-spinners, and you always want to have one that spins away from the right hander and one that spins towards them."
While he expects the cooler climate in Rawalpindi to tip conditions in the favour of seamers for the series opener, Fawad expects drier pitches in Karachi and Lahore to potentially open the door for a second spinner alongside Lyon.
Left-armer Ashton Agar has done that job before, most recently in Bangladesh in 2017 during his most recent Test series, but Swepson established himself as the country's second-best red-ball spinner with a breakout summer for Queensland in 2020-21 that fired the Bulls to the Sheffield Shield title.Although the lack of cricket in Pakistan in recent years (the country has not hosted an Australian Test side since 1998 while it has only witnessed three Test series overall since a 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus) has meant there is an element of unknown in the prevailing conditions, locals have stressed they are different from other Asian nations.
And, as Fawad notes, the cricket-starved nation also has a rich history of world-class leg-spinners (both home-grown and from abroad) having success in Pakistan.Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria were lynchpins of Pakistan attacks through the 1980s, ‘90s and 2000s, while Yasir's record in the four Tests he has played in his home country (14 wickets at 36.50 in four matches) is far from dreadful even if it fails to match his dominance in the UAE (116 wickets at 24.56).
Leg-spinners topped the series wicket-taking tally on both of Australia's most recent tours to Pakistan; Shane Warne had 18 victims at 28 during Australia's 1994 three-Test series, including nine in Rawalpindi, while Stuart MacGill snared 15 scalps at 27.46 in 1998.
That, combined with Fawad's view that a Pakistan batting group led by Babar Azam are susceptible to wrist-spin, could see the 28-year-old Swepson blooded during the coming weeks."Swepson is a great talent, he has been bowling really well. If he gets his opportunity, I'm pretty sure he is going to do a good job," said Fawad.
"If he is playing in Karachi I think he will definitely get some assistance. Ashton Agar is a top quality cricketer as well but if Swepson plays, Pakistan batters' record against leg-spin is not that great.
"He's been playing really good first-class cricket the last few years. He's been taking wickets at tough times, he was part of a Sheffield Shield-winning team.
"Around your late-20s is the perfect time for leg-spinners to play at the top level. When you get smarter, you learn how to use your skills at the right time."
Fawad has joined the Australian team bubble in Islamabad but is unlikely to join in at training before the first Test as he completes a precautionary isolation period.
Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood. Reserves: Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Haris
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/faw...t-series-debut-yasir-warne-macgill/2022-03-01
"What I missed out on in my career, I hope another leg-spinner doesn’t miss out on those (same) things, so I would love to help them," Fawad, who played five limited-overs matches for Australia and came close to a Test berth in the Caribbean in 2015, told cricket.com.au.
Preparing fellow wrist-spinner Swepson for a debut in a format increasingly unfriendly to their craft, even on the subcontinent, shapes as a worthy first project.
Wrist-spin has gone out of fashion in Test cricket in recent years (even as they have thrived in T20s) with Pakistani Yasir Shah the only one to have taken more than 100 Test wickets over the past decade.
Of the 18 most prolific wicket-takers in Asia over that period, Yasir is the only leg-spinner among them and even he has now fallen out of favour with Pakistan.
Pakistan’s recent Test success – they are undefeated in home series since Test cricket resumed there in 2019 and have won nine of their last 10 Tests overall – has been underpinned by their quicks and finger-spinners, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.
That largely mirrors the inclination for Test teams in Asia towards slow bowlers who can deliver quick, accurate side-spinners aimed the stumps. Combined with turning surfaces, that has proved a winning strategy.
"The problem here in the subcontinent is that you have to bowl into the wicket with side-spin and you have to bowl about 90kph," said Fawad, who has played at each of the three venues for the three-Test series beginning Friday.
"If you bowl slower and with overspin, it's easier to face – you don't get much support from the wicket.
"Leg spinners don't produce that pace consistently. It's easier for the finger-spinners, and you always want to have one that spins away from the right hander and one that spins towards them."
While he expects the cooler climate in Rawalpindi to tip conditions in the favour of seamers for the series opener, Fawad expects drier pitches in Karachi and Lahore to potentially open the door for a second spinner alongside Lyon.
Left-armer Ashton Agar has done that job before, most recently in Bangladesh in 2017 during his most recent Test series, but Swepson established himself as the country's second-best red-ball spinner with a breakout summer for Queensland in 2020-21 that fired the Bulls to the Sheffield Shield title.Although the lack of cricket in Pakistan in recent years (the country has not hosted an Australian Test side since 1998 while it has only witnessed three Test series overall since a 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus) has meant there is an element of unknown in the prevailing conditions, locals have stressed they are different from other Asian nations.
And, as Fawad notes, the cricket-starved nation also has a rich history of world-class leg-spinners (both home-grown and from abroad) having success in Pakistan.Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria were lynchpins of Pakistan attacks through the 1980s, ‘90s and 2000s, while Yasir's record in the four Tests he has played in his home country (14 wickets at 36.50 in four matches) is far from dreadful even if it fails to match his dominance in the UAE (116 wickets at 24.56).
Leg-spinners topped the series wicket-taking tally on both of Australia's most recent tours to Pakistan; Shane Warne had 18 victims at 28 during Australia's 1994 three-Test series, including nine in Rawalpindi, while Stuart MacGill snared 15 scalps at 27.46 in 1998.
That, combined with Fawad's view that a Pakistan batting group led by Babar Azam are susceptible to wrist-spin, could see the 28-year-old Swepson blooded during the coming weeks."Swepson is a great talent, he has been bowling really well. If he gets his opportunity, I'm pretty sure he is going to do a good job," said Fawad.
"If he is playing in Karachi I think he will definitely get some assistance. Ashton Agar is a top quality cricketer as well but if Swepson plays, Pakistan batters' record against leg-spin is not that great.
"He's been playing really good first-class cricket the last few years. He's been taking wickets at tough times, he was part of a Sheffield Shield-winning team.
"Around your late-20s is the perfect time for leg-spinners to play at the top level. When you get smarter, you learn how to use your skills at the right time."
Fawad has joined the Australian team bubble in Islamabad but is unlikely to join in at training before the first Test as he completes a precautionary isolation period.
Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood. Reserves: Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Haris
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/faw...t-series-debut-yasir-warne-macgill/2022-03-01
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