Pakistan expect aggressive Aussies in UAE

If Pakistan coach Waqar Younis thinks the arrival of Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan in Dubai will greatly assist Australia’s batsmen, he’s not letting on.

Waqar offered little more than a wry smile on Friday when asked what he’s expecting Test world-record holder Murali to add to Australia’s depth of knowledge for their upcoming clashes with Pakistan.

Pakistan will host Australia in a one-off Twenty20 game on Sunday in Dubai, followed by a three-match ODI series and two Tests.

The home side’s strike bowler, star spinner Saeed Ajmal, has been ruled out because of a chucking ban.

And while Waqar says his side will use pace and turn in a bid to win the matches across all three formats in spin-friendly conditions, the ODI series will also be a vital warm-up for the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2015.

“Australia is a tough nation. I live in Australia,” Waqar told a media conference at a training session in Sharjah, near Dubai.

“I know that they’re very very tough. They’ll come hard.

“It doesn’t matter what sources they’ve got.

“We are really prepared for it and we know they’re going to come hard.”

Waqar, a pace-bowling great himself for Pakistan, says Australia have always been more comfortable against the quicks.

“They grew up on bouncy tracks and we are aware of it,” he said.

“We all know they’re also in a building process. They’re looking up to the World Cup so they have their eyes on that, as we have.

“In the past we have definitely dominated with our spinners.

“With Saeed Ajmal out, things are different now. We have to really think hard as a bunch, not as one individual who has been winning us games.

“But he’s not there, what should we do?

“Are we going to start losing games?

“That’s very negative. We are going to make sure our pacers deliver and also our young spinners.

“They should all deliver.

“We’ve got a quiet a few fast bowlers in the squad so we have got a World Cup in our minds too.”

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