'The wickets there seem to favour fast bowling' - Australia aim to bolster pace attack for Pakistan tour

Australia’s chief selector George Bailey opined on Australia’s preparations for the upcoming tour of Pakistan as he felt the need to strengthen the pace attack. Australia is coming off a massive 4-0 win against England in the Ashes and will be riding high on confidence after thoroughly dominating the visitors.

However, they will know that the challenge in Pakistan is not going to be easy by any means and the skipper Pat Cummins had recently noted their aspirations to do well in the subcontinent.

This will also mark the first tour of Pakistan for Australia since 1998 and the intensity of the series is expected to be huge. The three-match Test series starts on the 3rd of March and will be followed by a three-match ODI series and one T2oI. Last year, South Africa had toured Pakistan for a two-match Test series and the visitors succumbed to a 0-2 loss in the subcontinent nation.

Pakistan does have a wealth of strong fast bowlers: George Bailey

Bailey noted that the Pakistan wickets seemed to have favoured the fast bowlers on analysis of the first-class cricket played in the country. He added that the strong pace attack of Pakistan is not going to be easy to deal with and wanted to build up a strong pace attack on the Australian side. He also was aware that the turning wickets could be on the cards and was willing to prepare accordingly.

“We don’t have a great deal of information on what sort of wickets to expect. We’ve looked at a lot of their first-class cricket. Maybe counter intuitively, it seems to favour fast bowling. Pakistan do have a wealth of strong fast bowlers,” Bailey told ABC Tasmania

“A lot of our subcontinent experience has led to thinking that the spin is going to be quite handy too. We’re covering all bases and taking a couple of spinners and a bevy of fast bowlers just to make sure whatever conditions we do get, we’re able to adapt,” he added

Pat Cummins was at his best in the Ashes, picking up 21 wickets in just four Tests and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series. It will be interesting to see if Scott Boland finds a place in the XI if Josh Hazlewood returns as the former has shown great potential in the recent Ashes.