Vice-captain Mohammad Hafeez said Pakistan were focussed on winning the third one-day match at Sharjah Stadium here on Monday to take their first series against Australia in ten years.
Pakistan and Australia go into the third and final one-day at 1-1, with Australia winning the first match here by four wickets before their rivals earned a series-levelling seven wicket win in the second at Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Hafeez said records did not matter as Pakistan always go for a win.
“We, as a team, think about winning every game but if in the process we are able to achieve a record then it’s fine,” said Hafeez of Pakistan’s prospects of winning their first one-day series against Australia since 2002.
Hafeez said Pakistan’s varied bowling gave them the edge over Australia.
“We want to take the winning momentum of the second match into the third and our varied bowling attack gives us an edge ovr Australia,” said Hafeez, himself part of the spin trio led by Saeed Ajmal.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman replaced Shahid Afridi in the second match after the leg-spinner had a recurrence of a back problem. Afridi was a doubtful starter for Monday.
Ajmal took three wickets in the first match and four in the second, exposing Australia’s weakness against spin.
Hafeez refused to admit that it will be a win toss, win match situation after Pakistan benefitted from Australia’s decision of batting first in Abu Dhabi.
“They were wet conditions in Abu Dhabi but they are the same for both the teams and I don’t think the toss will be decisive,” said Hafeez.
Australian allrounder David Hussey admitted Ajmal has been a threat.
“He (Ajmal) is a hell of a great bowler. It is totally different from the way Australians play him, you might see a different technique against him in the third game,” said Hussey. Hussey said all Pakistani spinners warrant attention.
“All their bowlers warrant lots of attention. We do our planning very deligently and when it comes to planning and Hafeez definitely does not slip under the radar and he is number one ranked spinner in the world at the moment.”
Apart from the Pakistani spinners, Australia were smarting from the oppressive heat in the United Arab Emirates.
“It is just a different humidity than we are used to. The key is to keep your body temperature down. We are strengthening and our conditioning coach has been fantastic and the key is to keep your body temperature down and you have to adapt that,” said Hussey.
Australia were hopeful their openers Matthew Wade and David Warner fire after failing to score big in the first two matches.
Paceman Mitchell Starc was a doubtful starter after complaining of chest pain on Friday.
Teams and match officials: Australia (from): Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Alister McDermott, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade.
Pakistan (from): Misbahul Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali
Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL)and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
Tv umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.
Sharjah favourite ground for both Pakistan, Australia
By S.Pervez Qaiser
Pakistan have won 76, lost 34 and tied one in 111 one day internationals played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium where the third and final one day international match of the third-match series will be played on Monday (September 3). This day-night match will start at 19.00 hours (PST).
Pakistan have won three and lost just one in four one day internationals played against Australia at this ground which is also good hunting ground for Australia. They have won 12 and lost eight in 20 one day internationals played here.
Pakistan recorded an eight wicket win over Australia when two teams met first time at this ground on April 11,1986. Batting first after winning the toss, Australia made 202 for seven in 50 overs. Pakistan made 206 for two in 49.1 overs to win the match. Man of the match, Mudassar Nazar scored 95 off 140 balls with five fours.
Pakistan defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the second match at third ground palyed on April 3,1987. Batting first on the livelier of Sharjah’s two prepared pitches, Australia were immediately in trouble against hostile new-ball bowling from Wasim Akram and Manzoor Elahi. David Boon (71) and Simon O’Donnell’s (54) century partnership for the fourth wicket lent the innings respectability, but with Javed Miandad (74) in the mood to take their attack apart, Australia never looked like winning. Mudassar Nazar who took three wickets for 44 runs in Austalian inning of 176 for nine in 50 overs, scored 64 runs in Pakistan’s innings of 180 for four in 46.4 overs. He get the man of the match award.
The final of Austral-Asia Cup on May 4,1990 was the third match between Pakistan and Australia at Sharjah. Pakistan’s mercurial all-rounder, Wasim Akram, hitting 49 off 35 deliveries and later finishing the Australian innings with a hat-trick, enabled Pakistan to retain the Austral-Asia Cup they won four years earlier when they beat India, with a six by Javed Miandad, off the last ball. With almost four overs left, Australia required 37 to win with three wickets in hand, but Wasim Akram dashed any hopes they might have entertained by clean-bowling Merv Hughes, Carl Rackemann and Terry Alderman. The architect of Pakistan’s innings was Salim Malik, whose polished 87 from 104 balls contained a six and seven fours. Saeed Anwar got them going with a swashbuckling 40 from 37 balls, but it needed Wasim Akram’s devastating hitting to bring 60 runs from the last five overs and so set the Australians a challenging target. Two of his three sixes came in the final over, both landing in the stands, as he took 18 runs off Simon O’Donnell. Leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed’s three wickets put the brake on Australia after Steve Waugh and Simon O’Donnell had added 54 for the fifth wicket.
Australia’s first victory over Pakistan at this ground came in the first match of the current series on August 28. After dismissing Pakistan for 198 runs in 45.1 overs, Australia made 199 for six in 48.2 overs to win the match. Mitchell Starc who took career best five for 42 declared man of the match.
AUSTRALIA-PAKISTAN AT SHARJAH:
Winner Margin Date
Pakistan 8 wickets 11-04-1986
Pakistan 6 wickets 03-04-1987
Pakistan 36 runs 04-05-1990
Australia 4 wickets 28-08-2012