Sports News

Australian batsmen have said that they expect the
Pakistan team to put up good fight in the three-Test series starting on
Boxing Day.

Though Pakistan has not played a Test here in last five years and
without a series win in the game''s traditional form since beating West
Indies in late 2006, Australian middle-order batsman Mike Hussey
believes that the team is tough enough to be a threat to the Ricky
Ponting-led team.

“I think it''s going to be a really tough series. They''ve got a lot of
match-winners, and a lot of very dangerous players, particularly
bowlers. I think they''ve got an outstanding team, their attack is
going to be very challenging for all our batsmen,” The Sydney Morning
Herald quoted Hussey, as saying.

Opener Simon Katich said that Australia''s bowlers would also have to
toil hard to breakthrough a top order anchored by captain Mohammad
Yousuf and youngter like Umar Akmal, who made a century on debut in New
Zealand last month.

“They''ve got some exciting young players, both batsmen and bowlers.
Having had a look at the footage, we expect it to be a tough challenge,
particularly from a batting point of view,” Katich said.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said: “As we''ve seen in the tour
game [against Tasmania], they''ve got some batters in form and a pretty
strong bowling attack. It''s always exciting, Boxing Day, but playing
against Pakistan makes it even more so because they''re so
unpredictable.”