What is the most important aspect that Pakistan need to do well in Australia?

[Haroon786]

For me, it has to be the batting being consistent. In previous series played in Australia, Pakistan have batted well for one or two sessions and have then proceeded to collapse for a below par score thus making it completely impracticable to win from such a position and almost impossible to save the match. The lack of runs on the board have also negated Pakistani bowling, with the vast majority of our fast bowlers struggling in Australia, the exceptions being Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, coincidentally the two best fast bowlers from Pakistan too.

To this end, sticking to the attritional style that the Pakistani batting has embraced and made its own will be the best manner in aiming to be consistent and ensuring that big scores are manufactured. The Kookaburra generally tends to swing only for a few overs, thus a stable opening partnership between messers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam will be key to ensure that the platform is set for the more attacking batsmen - Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq (this year) who would propel the innings to a secure total.

Of course, Australia have trump (pun intended) cards in Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc but there is no guarantee that both will be playing come the first Test of the Pakistan series, particularly given the latter's recent injury history but both are brilliant bowlers who have performed well for Australia recently and can certainly be potent against Pakistan, who haven't always shown proclivity towards fast bowlers who can move the ball.

Even if the general feeling is that Australia will still clinch the series despite being at their weakest since 2010, this is the strongest squad that Pakistan will take to Australia since 1999 and even if they triumph in one match it will be a monumental achievement. Taking the series ? Outlandish, but a fan can dream.

 

[shaz619]

The most important aspect will be our batting, get about 300 each time and I'd back our bowlers to do the rest. Another important factor is getting our XI right and having adequate bench support who have the potential to start and not the sought of guys you'd be forced to pick just because someone got injured. We need to field the best team available to us in Pakistan despite any external factors.

 

[KingKhanWC]

The most important aspect will be our batting, get about 300 each time and I'd back our bowlers to do the rest. Another important factor is getting our XI right and having adequate bench support who have the potential to start and not the sought of guys you'd be forced to pick just because someone got injured. We need to field the best team available to us in Pakistan despite any external factors.

Agree but I would add unlike in the UAE where scoring is slow, Pak batsmen need to play sensibly but show some aggression too as the South African batsmen are doing.

 

[Pakprideuk]

Azhar Ali will be extremely important. If he bats 80+ balls, pakistan will put up big scores. If he falls early, we will have collapses because Shafiq, Younus and Misbah will be exposed to the harder, bouncing ball and from what we've seen recently they aren't very adept at playing that ball.

So batting will be important and Azhar Ali will be the main batsmen if were gna do well.

 

[shaz619]

Agree but I would add unlike in the UAE where scoring is slow, Pak batsmen need to play sensibly but show some aggression too as the South African batsmen are doing.

Definitely, I think for that reason we have manufactured a secret weapon which will be unleashed on the Aussies

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Please take all slip catches, please.

The ball will bounce more than usual in AUS due to which slips will be in business throughout the day, so it is extremely important that we take atleast 95% of the catches, if we are to have a chance of bowling out AUS cheaply.

I have full faith in our batsmen scoring atleast 300+ in 4/6 innings.

 

[Markhor]

Got to stop Warner before he gets going, sort of player who can take the game away from you in a couple of sessions.

Bar Warner and Smith, the batting is vulnerable particularly against spin. Australian batsmen are poor at picking the variations. Leggies tend to be more dangerous in Australia than offies - see Mushtaq Ahmed in 1995. Yasir just needs to get a few to turn to create doubt in batsmen's mind. People were saying he'd do nothing in England but he played a key role in our two victories there.

We must improve our technique against the short ball. The way we handled Holder and Gabriel on a slow Sharjah wicket was disappointing. However its a much more settled batting unit than the previous two Australia tours.

Finally, its important we get off on the right note at the Gabba. It may be Australia"s fortress but if its a green wicket and the pink ball swings under lights as it did at Adelaide then our pace attack will come into the game, and Australia have been poor on seaming wickets as we saw in the 2015 Ashes.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Bat out overs so Australia have to play even faster to produce a result.

 

[o_ahsan99]

I think the most important factor will be how Pakistani batsmen perform in NZ. Batting conditions in NZ are going to be more challenging than in Australia and Boult & Southee are one of the best in business in those conditions. Touring sides need to play positive cricket if they are to win in Australia. If the Pakistani batsmen perform well in NZ then they will go to Australia full of confidence. They will believe in themselves to do well and will be able to score runs. Once our batting clicks in Australia then we have the bowling to win matches. Add to it that the fact that this Australian team is the weakest that Pakistan have faced during the past 20 years.

Pakistan leveled the test series in England but I don't think that neither the team nor the fans still think that our top 6 batsmen are world beaters yet. There are question marks whether Azhar and Asad are suitable for open and one down, whether YK and Misbah are still fit to play test cricket outside Asia, whether Babar Azam can face bouncers adequately. The batting units performances in NZ will answer a lot of these questions, and if successful in NZ, then I think our team will be able to perform well and win the series in Australia too. But if the batting doesn't perform in NZ, then they will go to Australia under pressure and this can be detrimental for our batsmen. This is another long tour away from home and a team under pressure will not enjoy the tour and things like home sickness will begin to kick in.

 

[Rayyman]

Middle order batting and Wahab are the 2 major keys.

 

[Hasan123]

Catching
Occupying the crease
Yasir to have a good series.

 

[Justcrazy]

Catching will play critical role. Pakistan must hold on to there chances , the bowlers will create them , fielders must not blow them away. If Pakistan can hold all there catches , they can restrict the Aussies to good extent.

 

[Pantani]

Bat well and get runs on the board. Australia respond very poorly to scoreboard pressure.

 

[Suleiman]

Batting tied the series in England, has to be the batting again. When you really look at it, apart from Yasir our bowling was kind of lackluster throughout the course of the series. Even Yasir was exposed at OT and Edgbaston.

It was the batting that we make so much of that lifted us and inspired us to 2 wins. Esp at the oval, after England amassed 300 odd after Moeen's hundred people thought it'd be very tough to win, but we pulled through.

If we can show that consistency as someone above said, then why not. Though our confidence in batting is a little down now after the mental scars Bishoo, Holder and Gabriel left in UAE.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Not pulling or cutting the ball. Just driving. #SorryCouldntResist

 

[street cricketer]

Ability to not get flustered under scoreboard pressure.

 

[MMHS]

One liner - catches behind batsman.

I don't think batting will be that big an issue - may be score board pressure is one thing, but the sort of analysis I see that Starc is going knock Sami/Sharjeel in first over; PAK to be 60/5 & unless tail holds on - 85 all-out; D/N match finished in 3 days; don't play pull & cut - all-out below 100 team score ................ not going to happen. This is quite a decent PAK batting line up for Test - while this is not the AUS attack with 4 bowlers having a combined SR around 60 in AUS.

If I put the 5 CTQ (Critical to quality) for this Series, my order will be

1. Catching & WKeeping - do I need to explain? This is not UAE - about 70% wickets will be through catch & most of them behind batsmen. PAK must make sure that bowlers need to take at most 23 wickets to get AUS all-out twice.

2. Bowling length & discipline - extremely important that bowlers don't lose head, after getting extra bounce. Aussies are by far the best back-foot players; bowlers won't do any dodo bowling even 155km at chest height. MUST, MUST, MUST bring the batsmen on front foot & encourage drives away from body. Absolutely nothing to play on back-foot, unless it's a surprise short one. Oblate, I have noticed Aussies hitting through the line shifting body weight on back foot - if they are to do it on front foot, may be scoring rate will be 4.5+, but won't survive long, and now they don't have the tail to cash on a tiered attack. Aamir, Wahab, Rarat, Sohail & may be Asif, backed by Yasir is quite good & penetrative attack - if they can hit the right length with discipline, creating chances won't be any issue.

3. Top 3 batting - try not to lose more than 1 wicket by 23-25 overs; be it at 2.25 RR. Batting key is the opening pair; if they can keep Josh/Starc wicket less in 1st spell, Aussies don't have much back up - they are limited in pace bowling back-up & don't have much in spin either - their entire success is dependent on the first 25 overs of Kookaburra by the new ball pair. At WACA, SAF pulled 242 from 34/4; 2nd innings, they batted at around 2.6 for first 20-25 overs - it worked in a way that SAF could have scored 600. PAK must make sure that Aussie new-ball pair is earning every wicket. May be putting Babar at 3 & Asad at 4 is not a bad idea as they are in good touch & has younger eye/reflex.

4. Scoring rate - this is one area that Misbah is poor. He plays the game at same tempo, which is OK for UAE as the wicket/condition doesn't change (it's always dull). But, in AUS, teams have to cash on semi old Kookaburra - it's difficult to survive first 20-25 overs & the ball will reverse after 60; therefore which ever pair is in wicket, once Starc is done with his 2nd spell, must try to score at 4+ until it starts to reverse. I have seen many times, against Aussies in AUS, teams go into shell & don't score at adequate rate, only for the pacers to knock few in quick succession with 2nd ball.

One classic example I can mention is the Adelaide Test 2003 - facing 550+, AUS got IND probably 4 down for 100 or so, but Rahul & VVS didn't bog down - they kept scoring at a decent rate & once the depleted Aussie attack (Warne & Mac didn't play that Series) got tiered, they scored probably 250 in 2 sessions, including a counter attack on 2nd ball. Same thing they did previous year at Eden - it was on a different surface, but that attack had all 4 Aussie 1st choice bowlers.

The scoring rate is a function of positive stroke play & running as well - these are big grounds, if Azhar, Sami, Misbah does their customary jogging, it won't help; on top of that, couple of run-outs are on the cards - if there is an all run 4, both batsmen have to go for that. If there is a lose ball, one has to throw kitchen sink at it (obviously by covering percentage shots - something what PAK DID NOT DO in WC QF at Adelaide - playing high risk shots for minimum return is not exactly percentage shot). Playing extra cautious game never works against Aussies - one has to drag the bull by it's horn, be it risking a broken collar bone.

5. Tactical targeting of the spinner - PAK must not allow Lyon (or whoever they pick as the spinner) to settle - if required, take a little risk, give him 1/2 odd wickets from aggressive shots, but he must not bowl below 4.50 rate, at least in 1st innings. This is a tactical battle, which has forced AUS to pick Mitch Marsh (5 bowlers) - must has to be exposed. When Shane was there, Aussies had a spinner, who could bowl 35 overs on Day 1 for 85 run - even if he doesn't take wickets, he dried up the runs, never gave any respite by bowling couple of release overs & allowed the 3 pacers going after the batsmen at full throttle relentlessly. On top of that Mac could do that for 25 overs, which allowed Lee & Gillespee to bowl flat out 30 overs combined, in short spells. Smith doesn't have that luxury any more - on 3rd morning at WACA, he made a critical mistake of over bowling his spearheads as Lyon was never allowed to settle, while he didn't have the confidence in a tight game to drain some easy runs. That resulted a soft 2nd new ball spell & SAF ran with the game thereafter - PAK must take notes from that. Smith must not be allowed to get away with 25 overs for 60 from Lyon - either it has to cost him over 100 or he has to burn out Starc/Josh.

These are tactics - only applicable/will be effective, if the fundamentals are done. Dropping a sitter at 2nd slip of Warner in Aamir's 1st over won't help whatever tactics is adopted; neither it'll help, if two batsmen are stranded at mid crease while running for a quick extra run.

 

[taqi]

catching ... thats it

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Just hold onto your catches and we'll be fine.

 

[ahmadharis1]

Yasir will be key as always, as is Azhar. The team follows the opening pair, if they do well, so do the middle order typically

 

[Haroon786]

catching ... thats it

Just hold onto your catches and we'll be fine.

Won't matter if we get bundled out for 200 everytime.

 

[Haroon786]

Bat well and get runs on the board. Australia respond very poorly to scoreboard pressure.

Ability to not get flustered under scoreboard pressure.

2 conflicting views - interesting.

 

[Adil_94]

Batting needs to stand up. Needs to score 350+ in most innings. In Aus in the recent past its been our batting that has always struggled the most. But bowlers and fielders need to step up. Wahab n Amir need to have the series of their lives if we are to do something in Aus. Fielding needs to be top notch dropping Warner could be the difference between a win or a loss.

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

Stokes at no 6/7

 

[street cricketer]

2 conflicting views - interesting.

Not really conflicting. Both teams can be weak under big scoreboard pressure.

 

[osee_bhai]

Catches win matches.

Even with the unavoidable Pak mini-collapses and stutters, our bowling always manages to get 10-12 chances/per innings, and can keep us in the game. On these bouncy pitches the catches will come a little higher and harder, we have to make them stick.

 

[Jan Sher]

I think aggression will be the key. We should be batting at a R/R of at least 4. In this way, we will be able to post decent scores. If we stick to our attritional style of batting, then we would stand no chance, as the wickets will be falling on one hand, and on the other hand, our total runs will be less. Attritional style of cricket won't benefit us, in any way, until and unless we are playing for a draw. We just can't let this chance slip away, as it is our best chance of beating Australia in Australia.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I think we all know that this is the strongest batting line up that we have had in a very, very long time. So, if they fail, there's nothing that can be done about that.

However, when it comes to bowling, I think it's safe to say we're weaker than we usually are. Our best bet would be to drop Imran Khan and take Junaid Khan instead solely for the reason of experience.

Apart from that, just need to hold onto our catches, be good at ground fielding and we'll have a good chance at making a mark.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Pakistan has always lost to stronger teams due to their spineless batting. How many times have Pakistan collapsed to lose a match from a winning position, we all know that.

 

[Pete Rose]

Catch well

 

[Misia]

Batting, take your time play yourself in and score heavily

 

[Abdullah719]

Bat as long as possible. Far too often in the past, we've crumbled on away tours. I have much higher expectations from this side.

 

[Buffet]

Bat and catch well.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Like everyone has said in this thread, Batting is essential and mainly the top order. If the top order click then the foundation of the innings is set for the middle and lower order to come in and build.

 

[Mamoon]

Find a way to score 300 runs in the first innings of every Test.

 

[Rayyman]

Find a way to score 300 runs in the first innings of every Test.

Kind of hard to see happening, seeing the way our tail batted in the last series.

 

[cricket_cfa]

Catching
Occupying the crease
Yasir to have a good series.

i think these are good ones

 

[Ellipsism]

Kind of hard to see happening, seeing the way our tail batted in the last series.

Why should the batting be left to the tail? The top and middle order should be scoring in excess of 350.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan need to just adjust to conditions as quickly as possible. In Australia the extra bounce and pace in wickets compared to UAE means our bowlers will need to learn to bowl fuller lengths but also show patients with line and length as most wickets are likely to be taken in the slips rather then targetting the stumps.

With the batting our batsmen need to show they know where there off-stumps is as Aussie bowlers will try and attack our batsmen in those channel areas in around off stump so good footwork and good shot selection will be important.

 

[Haroon786]

Why should the batting be left to the tail? The top and middle order should be scoring in excess of 350.

Looking at the current display of Australian top order batting, I wouldn't be too confident in our batting in Australia against Starc and Hazlewood.

 

[Rayyman]

Looks like we will crush Australia.

 

[Buffet]

Looks like we will crush Australia.

How many tests in series? If I recall it right, it's 3 tests.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Looks like we will crush Australia.

Nope it'll be difficult but we won't get a better chance

 

[szrana007]

Looks like we will crush Australia.

lol, it will take a massive effort for us to net get whitewashed.

 

[Rayyman]

Nope it'll be difficult but we won't get a better chance

Imo it will be easier than the England series.

 

[LegendAli]

Imo it will be easier than the England series.

In sha allah, I'm really hoping man we can come out on top.

Whitewash would be a dream come true to say the least, I certainly do not doubt our chances that's for sure.

 

[Saj]

Self-belief.

Too often in the past Pakistan has gone to Australia already beaten mentally. This time Arthur's role will be key to getting them ready and believing in themselves.

 

[DRsohail]

One liner - catches behind batsman.

I don't think batting will be that big an issue - may be score board pressure is one thing, but the sort of analysis I see that Starc is going knock Sami/Sharjeel in first over; PAK to be 60/5 & unless tail holds on - 85 all-out; D/N match finished in 3 days; don't play pull & cut - all-out below 100 team score ................ not going to happen. This is quite a decent PAK batting line up for Test - while this is not the AUS attack with 4 bowlers having a combined SR around 60 in AUS.

If I put the 5 CTQ (Critical to quality) for this Series, my order will be

1. Catching & WKeeping - do I need to explain? This is not UAE - about 70% wickets will be through catch & most of them behind batsmen. PAK must make sure that bowlers need to take at most 23 wickets to get AUS all-out twice.

2. Bowling length & discipline - extremely important that bowlers don't lose head, after getting extra bounce. Aussies are by far the best back-foot players; bowlers won't do any dodo bowling even 155km at chest height. MUST, MUST, MUST bring the batsmen on front foot & encourage drives away from body. Absolutely nothing to play on back-foot, unless it's a surprise short one. Oblate, I have noticed Aussies hitting through the line shifting body weight on back foot - if they are to do it on front foot, may be scoring rate will be 4.5+, but won't survive long, and now they don't have the tail to cash on a tiered attack. Aamir, Wahab, Rarat, Sohail & may be Asif, backed by Yasir is quite good & penetrative attack - if they can hit the right length with discipline, creating chances won't be any issue.

3. Top 3 batting - try not to lose more than 1 wicket by 23-25 overs; be it at 2.25 RR. Batting key is the opening pair; if they can keep Josh/Starc wicket less in 1st spell, Aussies don't have much back up - they are limited in pace bowling back-up & don't have much in spin either - their entire success is dependent on the first 25 overs of Kookaburra by the new ball pair. At WACA, SAF pulled 242 from 34/4; 2nd innings, they batted at around 2.6 for first 20-25 overs - it worked in a way that SAF could have scored 600. PAK must make sure that Aussie new-ball pair is earning every wicket. May be putting Babar at 3 & Asad at 4 is not a bad idea as they are in good touch & has younger eye/reflex.

4. Scoring rate - this is one area that Misbah is poor. He plays the game at same tempo, which is OK for UAE as the wicket/condition doesn't change (it's always dull). But, in AUS, teams have to cash on semi old Kookaburra - it's difficult to survive first 20-25 overs & the ball will reverse after 60; therefore which ever pair is in wicket, once Starc is done with his 2nd spell, must try to score at 4+ until it starts to reverse. I have seen many times, against Aussies in AUS, teams go into shell & don't score at adequate rate, only for the pacers to knock few in quick succession with 2nd ball.

One classic example I can mention is the Adelaide Test 2003 - facing 550+, AUS got IND probably 4 down for 100 or so, but Rahul & VVS didn't bog down - they kept scoring at a decent rate & once the depleted Aussie attack (Warne & Mac didn't play that Series) got tiered, they scored probably 250 in 2 sessions, including a counter attack on 2nd ball. Same thing they did previous year at Eden - it was on a different surface, but that attack had all 4 Aussie 1st choice bowlers.

The scoring rate is a function of positive stroke play & running as well - these are big grounds, if Azhar, Sami, Misbah does their customary jogging, it won't help; on top of that, couple of run-outs are on the cards - if there is an all run 4, both batsmen have to go for that. If there is a lose ball, one has to throw kitchen sink at it (obviously by covering percentage shots - something what PAK DID NOT DO in WC QF at Adelaide - playing high risk shots for minimum return is not exactly percentage shot). Playing extra cautious game never works against Aussies - one has to drag the bull by it's horn, be it risking a broken collar bone.

5. Tactical targeting of the spinner - PAK must not allow Lyon (or whoever they pick as the spinner) to settle - if required, take a little risk, give him 1/2 odd wickets from aggressive shots, but he must not bowl below 4.50 rate, at least in 1st innings. This is a tactical battle, which has forced AUS to pick Mitch Marsh (5 bowlers) - must has to be exposed. When Shane was there, Aussies had a spinner, who could bowl 35 overs on Day 1 for 85 run - even if he doesn't take wickets, he dried up the runs, never gave any respite by bowling couple of release overs & allowed the 3 pacers going after the batsmen at full throttle relentlessly. On top of that Mac could do that for 25 overs, which allowed Lee & Gillespee to bowl flat out 30 overs combined, in short spells. Smith doesn't have that luxury any more - on 3rd morning at WACA, he made a critical mistake of over bowling his spearheads as Lyon was never allowed to settle, while he didn't have the confidence in a tight game to drain some easy runs. That resulted a soft 2nd new ball spell & SAF ran with the game thereafter - PAK must take notes from that. Smith must not be allowed to get away with 25 overs for 60 from Lyon - either it has to cost him over 100 or he has to burn out Starc/Josh.

These are tactics - only applicable/will be effective, if the fundamentals are done. Dropping a sitter at 2nd slip of Warner in Aamir's 1st over won't help whatever tactics is adopted; neither it'll help, if two batsmen are stranded at mid crease while running for a quick extra run.

potw