Updated at: 1421 PST, Friday, December 18, 2009
SYDNEY: Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen said that Pakistan cricket team without former captain Younis Khan, would have to face difficulties in playing on Australian wickets.Minus Younus Khan, Pakistan's batting is fragile enough to be exploited by the Australian attack, Tim Nielsen said before Australia’s three-Test home series against Pakistan.The tourists have arrived in Hobart for their only warm-up match prior to the three-Test series that starts in Melbourne on Boxing Day.While the Australians are still locked in a battle for the final Test against the West Indies at the WACA ground, Nielsen has cast his eye over their next Test opponents that just played out a 1-1 drawn series in New Zealand.It has emerged that former captain Younus is still a chance to take part in the tour after initially missing his place in the squad and Nielsen said he was needed."It's always hard to replace experienced players who've been to Australia or played all over the world, that's what makes them excellent players," Nielsen told an Australian news agency."When you lose someone who's also had the experience of being the captain and also a leader in their group, it will be challenging for them if we can put them under pressure, for their younger players to have to cope with those things."It's something we'll try to capitalise on, the fact they may be a little inexperienced at different times in their middle order, but we certainly won't be taking them any lighter because he's not there."By their own admission the Pakistanis are stronger in the bowling department with the likes of Umar Gul, Mohammed Asif and Danish Kaneria forming a deep and varied attack."Their bowling attack with the likes of Asif, Umar Gul and Kaneria who bowled very well for them out here in 2004 and Ajmal who is a fine off-spinner, they have got some quality bowling and maybe they have got a little fragility or inexperience in their top order batting," said Nielsen."One of the hardest things to do coming from the subcontinent is to face the ball that bounces and carries a little more, and usually Australian conditions offer us that."They've got enough quality in their team to make sure that if we're not on song, we'll be under pressure."The big thing for us will be to make sure if we can identify and find some eaknesses the conditions help us expose, we need to make sure we're disciplined enough to keep charging ahead with those things in mind."
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