BRISBANE: Pakistan is hoping that their rejuvenated team will have enough firepower to overcome Australia in the one-day series opener here at the Gabba on Friday, which promises to be a high-scoring game.
Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan captain, is confident that his team has the strength to give Australia a ‘fight’ in the one-day series and is looking to draw first blood in the series by clinching the opening One-day International.
With the return of experienced players like Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Rana Naved-ull-Hasan Pakistan believe they are in a better position to counter the Aussies, who swaggered to a 3-0 Test series whitewash against the tourists earlier this week.
“This is a much better team than the one that lost the Tests,” Yousuf said on Thursday referring to his one-day squad. “We have some really good one-day players, real match-winners who will help us to do well in the one-day series.”
Pakistan have opted for several changes in their playing XI and will open with Kamran Akmal, the fumbling wicketkeeper who was axed from the third and final Test in Hobart after dropping three sitters in the Sydney Test earlier this month.
Younis Khan will be back at the No. 3 position while Yousuf, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik and the big-hitting Shahid Afridi are expected to boost the middle-order.
“We have a good batting line-up for one-dayers,” said Yousuf, whose team flopped miserably in three run-chases in the Test series.
The tourists will hope that Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, the medium pacer who is likely to replace Umar Gul, will use his ‘Australian experience’ to lift them at the Gabba today. Rana recently featured in the Big Bash — Australia’s domestic Twenty20 tournament — for Tasmania and performed well with both the bat and ball.
The team management is expecting to strengthen Pakistan’s batting down the order in addition to his regular job as one of the three pacers.
Their recent head-to-head record show that Australia have a clear edge against the Pakistan are will begin the ODI series as hot favourites. Australia beat Pakistan 3-2 in their one-day series in the United Arab Emirates last year and also beat the Greenshirts in the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa last October.
The hosts and Pakistan have two wins each in five head-to-head contests at the Gabba while one match was washed out. Pakistan have won six and lost seven of their 14 matches at the prestigious venue while Australia have been successful 14 times in 31 appearances.
The Pakistanis own the lowest score at the Gabba in an ODI after managing 71 against West Indies in 1992-93.
The visitors have unable to impress much on the current tour and not many critics are giving them a chance to win the ODI series.
But Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, is not taking anything for granted. He asked his players to come out withy their best in the series, adding that Pakistan look to be a better ODI team on paper.
“If you read through their side, it looks a better team on paper than their Test team does. Guys like Afridi and Rana are very experienced and have been match-winners. Their one-day side does look particularly strong,” he said.
Ponting will be one of his team’s key players but all Australian eyes will be on the in-form allrounder Shane Watson, who was the player of the Test series with some excellent knocks and a few superb spells.
The playing conditions at the Gabba seem to be excellent and indicate towards a high-scoring match today. The ground has produced some big-scoring domestic games in the recent past where the captain winning the toss has almost always opted to bat first in a bid to post a big score on the board.
Pakistan (likely): Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif, Mohammed Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.
Australia (likely): Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Brad Haddin (wk), Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, James Hopes.
