Pakistan’s new captain Shan Masood said his team will be out to buck considerable odds, and 28 years of history, with a victory over a full-strength Australia in the first Test from Thursday.<\/p>\n
Masood, who replaced top batsman Babar Azam as skipper after the 50-overs World Cup, conceded Pakistan were short of test match practice but said there was no question of playing for anything less than a win at Perth Stadium.<\/p>\n
“You have to be positive,” Masood, a fan of England’s ‘Bazball’ style of play, told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“It’s picking your battles, it’s being sensible. It’s about seeing the requirement of the games and seeing what are the ways we can save time in the game and create a situation where taking 20 wickets would be easy.”<\/p>\n
Pakistan have taken 20 wickets only once in their last eight Tests in Australia going back to 2009, part of a sequence of 14 straight losses going back to their last win in November 1995.<\/p>\n
Australia’s bowling attack, having helped deliver the World Test Championship title and 50-overs World Cup this year, will be confident of dismissing Pakistan twice on what is expected to be a quick surface at Perth Stadium.<\/p>\n
Captain Pat Cummins named a full-strength side on Wednesday with the return of off-spinner Nathan Lyon the only change from the side which retained the Ashes in the fifth Test against England in August.<\/p>\n
Cummins also announced that middle order batsman Travis Head, one of the heroes of Australia’s World Cup triumph, would be one of the team’s vice captains alongside Steve Smith.<\/p>\n
“I just think the personality that he brings to the team is something that we all love,” Cummins told reporters.<\/p>\n
“He takes the game on and he enjoys it. He’s always got a smile on his face. He never takes anything too seriously.”<\/p>\n
“Sometimes you can mistake that for someone who’s not a deep thinker about the game but I think tactically he’s excellent.”<\/p>\n
“So he’s got all the makings of a really strong leader.”<\/p>\n