Teen quicks can cause Oz issues: Younis; Bancroft, Burns back as Ashes flops axed

Pakistan’s young and largely untested fast-bowling attack could cause big issues for Australia in their upcoming Test series as the team looks to bounce back from a humiliating Twenty20 series loss, avers ex-pace spearhead Waqar Younis.

Among those part of the Test squad are 16-year-old Nasim Shah and 19-year-old pair Musa Khan and Shaheen Afridi, along with veteran seamer Imran Khan senior, this after the retirement of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz this year,

While Imran destroyed Australia A in Pakistan’s warm-up match in Perth this week with 5-32 in their first innings, Nasim produced eight high-quality overs in the second innings.

Younis, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said he saw enough during the match to suggest Nasim and Afridi, in particular, can shine on Australia’s hard, fast pitches.

“Of course, that sort of performance (against Australia A) makes you feel that you’re not naive being here and you can really do the job,” he said in The Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper Thursday.

Pakistan dismissed an Australian team featuring Test aspirants Joe Burns, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft for 122 then restricted them to 91 for two in the second innings.

“All those batters have played for Australia or are knocking at the door,” added Younis.

“So getting them out early and bowling out the entire team cheaply will probably give us a very good message, that we are here for the business.

“We want to win and we want to challenge this Australian side, so there’s definitely confidence.” The first of two Tests against Australia gets underway in Brisbane next week, with Pakistan looking to improve after losing the Twenty20 series 2-0.

Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed, who are both in the Test squad, were the only Pakistan batsmen to make an impact over the short format.

But Younis believes their batting stocks are deep enough to cope with a Test barrage from Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson.

“I don’t think Pakistan is worried about facing them or scared of any of them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns got the nod on Thursday for Australia’s Test squad to face Pakistan, with Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris axed after flopping during the Ashes series against England.

Bowling allrounder Michael Neser was also included as a back-up to the formidable pace attack of Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson.

Bancroft was only rushed into the Australia A team at the last minute this week when Nic Maddinson pulled out to deal with mental health issues.

He is one of three specialist openers, along with Burns and Warner, but is more likely to play down the order if selected for the two Tests starting in Brisbane next week, followed by a day-night clash in Adelaide.

National selector Trevor Hohns suggested he would open with Warner, pointing out that “he has Test hundreds on the board and has combined very well with David in the past”.

Harris and Khawaja miss out after failing to impress in England or in the Australia A match, which was seen as a “bat-off” for the Test slots up for grabs.

Middle-order batsman Travis Head, who was dropped for the last Ashes Test, was given another chance after young prodigy Will Pucovski, widely tipped to be included, pulled out of contention earlier Thursday citing his “mental wellbeing”.

Pucovski is the third Australian Test aspirant in recent weeks to take time away from cricket to tackle mental health issues, with Maddinson and Glenn Maxwell also both currently out of action.

Hohns said Neser was included due to “his ability move the ball both ways, giving the team another bowling option depending on the conditions”.

Agencies

Australia Test squad:

Tim Paine (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner