Aussies face trial by spin

– Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed (above) warned his ace leg-spinner Yasir Shah will attack a depleted and new-look Australia when they meet in the first of two Test matches starting in Dubai from tomorrow.

Australia face a trial by spin as has so often been the case on their tours to Asia.

In the space of six years, they have lost 12 of their 15 Tests with only two wins and one draw on tours of India (twice), one each to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

They lost 2-0 to Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, with Yasir taking 12 and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar 14 wickets. But Yasir will now be the lone experienced bowler after Babar faded last year.

Australia will also be under pressure to overcome the loss of their regular captain Steve Smith and dashing opener David Warner along with Cameron Bancroft after they were banned for up to a year for their part in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March.

Pakistan will also have 33-yearold off-spinner Bilal Asif who played three one-day internationals in 2015 but has yet to play a Test.

Another leg-spinner in the squad, Shadab Khan, is unlikely to feature in the eleven having not fully recovered from a groin injury, but recalled all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez will turn his arm over as a back-up spinner. –