DUBAI:Australian captain Tim Paine hopes his team will move on from the ball-tampering row and start a new era when they face Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai on Sunday.
Australian cricket was rocked by the ball-tampering row in the Cape Town Test against South Africa in March this year, the fallout resulting in year-long bans for then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner.
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, caught by television cameras using sandpaper to try and scuff up the ball, was suspended for nine months.
It also led to coach Darren Lehmann stepping down and being replaced by Justin Langer, with both the new coach and Paine promising to reshape the culture around the team.
Wicketkeeper Paine assumed the captaincy midway through the scandal-hit Cape Town match, and took the first step to improve Australia’s public image in the next Test at Johannesburg by introducing a pre-match handshake with the South African players. Both teams will also shake hands ahead of the Dubai Test, with Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne all set to make their Test debuts for Australia.
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 — recording only two wins with one draw — on tours of India (twice), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.
They lost 2-0 to Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, with Yasir Shah taking 12 wickets and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who is no longer in the international set-up, claiming 14.
“Yasir is clearly a world-class bowler who’s got a phenomenal record at this ground in Dubai.” said Paine. “We’ve faced a hell of a lot of spin, there’s no doubt about that and Australian touring sides always do,” Paine added. (AFP)