Special balls that reverse swing and a tricked-up MCG practice wicket designed to spin have been among the training methods Australia’s Test stars have been using to prepare for their first tour of Pakistan since 1998.
As he and the squad prepared to board a charter flight for the first tour of Pakistan since 1998 on Saturday, Test captain Pat Cummins said clear air since the departure of Justin Langer had allowed players to dial in their focus on dealing with the cricketing unknowns ahead of them.
Security fears have been allayed, with the players to be shadowed by members of the Pakistan army from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave, and Cummins said everyone was just “keen as mustard” for Australia’s first Test tour since the 2019 Ashes.
During a training camp in Melbourne this week preparation has included batsman facing bowlers producing reverse swing, which Cummins said could be “a weapon” in Pakistan, using special balls that are half red and half white.
“Normally you fly in (to a foreign country) and have a couple of weeks in a place, which has its pros and also has its cons,” Cummins said.
“Being able to spend a bit more time in Australia, we’ll fly in, be fresh, and if we can replicate similar conditions to what we might expect over there, we can literally land in a couple of days and be up to speed.
“We had a spin bowling net, we practised a lot of reverse swing bowling which can come into it in Pakistan. The way you have to play spin and face reverse swing bowling, it can be quite different to what you might experience in a traditional Australian summer.
“It’s a bit of fun, we like seeing new things and trying new things.
“It’s the reality of playing over there. A lot of time the ball just reverse swings. We didn’t really experience it this summer with short games, grassy wickets. Over there is can be a real weapon. (We are) Just trying to upskill that.
“We haven’t bowled a lot of reverse swing lately, but it’s a huge factor going to the subcontinent.”
Cummins, on his first overseas tour as captain and just his second in charge, said he’d be leaning heavily on his vice-captain Steve Smith, who was skipper when Australia was last on the subcontinent in 2017 when he led tours to Bangladesh and India.
Smith made three centuries on that Indian tour and Cummins said he was “lucky” to have the former captain to lean on with plans txjmtzywo “sift through” loads of information from team analysts before heading in to the unknown.
“It throws up different challenges to the cricket here we have grown up playing and watching,” Cummins said.
“There are going to be times when I have to be more creative, be brave. I’m excited for that challenge
“Steve Smith captained over in India, he’s played in India and seen other captains. He’s huge, not only for his runs, but he has performed and done well over there. He’s great for the younger batters who haven’t played over there to talk to.
“There’s lots of information that I’ll be trying to sift through and get help from. I feel lucky to have someone like Smithy there who has not only captained in the subcontinent but played there quite a bit.”
