DUBAI // Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, says beating Australia is not impossible, even though his side is denuded by the absence of leading bowlers.
Saeed Ajmal's suspension, pending remedial work on his bowling action, was the headline news ahead of the series, while four leading Pakistan pace bowlers also are absent.
Taking 20 opposition wickets on docile pitches in the UAE has proved hard enough in the past, even with a full complement of bowlers.
Waqar found beating Australia a tough task in his playing days, despite routinely playing alongside the likes of Wasim Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed and Shoaib Akhtar. Yet he remains sanguine.
"Of course it's possible – it is cricket," said Waqar, who was captain when Pakistan fell to defeats against Australia in Sharjah in 2002, the only time they have lost a Test series in the UAE.
“We have done well when you talk about our own back yard, when we have played our home series, and this [the UAE] is home for us now.
“The pitches suit us. We don’t really have those bowlers, but we definitely have the potential and we have youngsters who can deliver.
“Cricket has changed a little since then, and we are trying to get the best teamwork out of these guys.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
