SYDNEY: Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf on Monday rued throwing away his wicket in their second Test here, saying that his team could have finished on a stronger position at stumps on the second had some of the batsmen avoided playing bad shots.

Yousuf said that Pakistan could have almost batted Australia out of the Test had they gained a first innings lead of 350 but said that some rash shots from a him and a couple of other batters means the tourists still have some hard work ahead.

“We could have taken ourselves to a stronger position,” he told a group of Pakistani reporters here at the Sydney Cricket ground (SCG) on Monday. “A bigger lead would have brought Australia under a lot of pressure.”

Yousuf blamed himself and three other middle-order batters – Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal – for playing rash strokes. “I lost my own wicket because of a bad shot. A few other batsmen also got out needlessly.”

Pakistan finished day two at 331-9, 204 runs ahead. At one stage they were placed at 237-3 and seemed set for a huge lead over the Aussies.

Yousuf, who is hoping to lead his team to its first win over Australia since 1995, said that he expects his bowlers to do well again.

“They bowled superbly on the first day and I’m sure they can do that again in the second innings.”

Watson and Hughes lead Australia's fightback

Australia's openers capitalised on a flattening pitch and a Pakistani reprieve to advance to 0 for 86 in their second innings, reducing to 120 the tourists' overall lead. Shane Watson raised his 1000th Test run with a lofted pull stroke that Danish Kaneria, fielding at fine leg, dropped over the boundary rope on a morning that saw the hosts restore a degree of parity to proceedings.

Pakistan added just two runs to their overnight first-innings total as Doug Bollinger (4 for 72) snuffed out Kaneria with his fifth ball of the morning. That took Pakistan's lead to 206 - their second-highest first-innings advantage over the Australians in 54 years of competition between the two countries - although with the SCG pitch nowhere near as threatening as the opening day, the Australians would not have entirely counted themselves out of the contest.

The hosts began their second-innings riposte in nervous fashion, with Watson french-cutting Mohammad Asif's second legal delivery milimetres from his leg-stump and Phillip Hughes slashing extravagantly at a wide Mohammad Sami offering the next over. The SCG crowd applauded when Hughes shouldered arms to his next delivery, and the young opener appeared to take the message to heart as he shelved his attacking instincts to see off four maiden overs before the first drinks break.

Watson, meanwhile, adopted a more aggressive mindset and peppered the boundaries with a series of authoritative drives and pull strokes. He was granted two reprieves - Kaneria's dropped catch and, on the stroke of lunch, a bizarre run-out opportunity that saw Kamran Akmal fail to remove the bails with the batsman well short of his ground - but rode his luck to register his eighth score in excess of 50 from 14 innings as a Test opener. Of Watson's 1030 runs scored by the lunch break, 773 had come since his elevation to opener. Clearly, the view at the top agrees with him.

A more circumspect Hughes headed to the break unbeaten on 31 from 71 deliveries. His measured approach was precisely what was required for both the batsman and the team following an inglorious duck in the first innings that preempted a broader Australian collapse.

Sohail Tanvir Targets One day Series in Australia

Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, Pakistan pace bowler Sohail Tanvir expressed his disappointment at missing out in playing in the ongoing Twenty/20 Big Bash series for the Victoria Bushrangers.

“I was really looking forward to playing in the Twenty/20 competition in Australia and competing against some of the world’s best players, but unfortunately the knee injury has ruined my plans. It’s just been a spate of bad luck of late when it comes to injuries, with firstly my back problems during and after the Twenty/20 World Cup and now the knee injury” stated Tanvir.

Tanvir who was man of the series in the inaugural IPL Twenty/20 competition, helping the Rajasthan Royals to victory, explained that the injury was one that occurred at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. “I was working on some fielding routines and dived for the ball and felt my knee give way. I wasn’t sure how serious the injury was at first, but was advised afterwards that I had minor ligament damage. I could have taken a risk and played for Victoria, but at the end of the day my priority is to play for Pakistan and I didn’t want to cause any long term damage to myself and jeopardise my career”.

Tanvir hopes to be back soon though for international duty and has his sights firmly set on being selected for the Pakistan one day squad for the series in Australia. “I’m very hopeful that I will be fit for the one day series in Australia. I’m very positive and believe that I will be 100% fit soon and put all the injury problems behind me. At the moment the doctors have told me to rest the injury but I’m very confident that I will be available for selection in what should be a very hard fought and exciting series against Australia”.

The Pakistan selectors are expected to announce the one day squad shortly before the start of the third test and Tanvir faces a race against time to be fit for the squad.

Yousuf searching for 'elusive' Test all rounder to improve Pakistan's performance

Islamabad, Jan 4 (ANI): Mohammad Yousuf, who is playing his fourth Test as Pakistan's skipper and might lead the team for a longer tenure than earlier expected, has outlined a few grey areas to improve the team's performance in the future.
With Younis Khan, who Yousuf replaced as captain last November, unlikely to return to his role and no other suitable candidate in sight, the experienced batsman could get confirmed as Pakistan's regular skipper.
But to ensure it, he needs to bring about some noticeable improvement in his team's performance graph, especially in Test cricket, The News reports.

One of the key areas, Yousuf has identified, apart from improving the standard of fielding, is to find a good Test all-rounder.

Pakistan has many players to fill up that role when it comes to One-day and Twenty20 cricket, but cannot find a single all rounder for Test cricket.

Shoaib Malik performed that role, but he doesn't bowl much any more while Abdul Razzaq has almost retired from the longest format of the game.

Pakistan have to rely on just four bowlers and have faced criticism from some experts, who believe that they should show more aggression and play with five specialist bowlers to achieve better results.

"How can we do that. It would mean dropping one batsman. It would further weaken our batting," Yousuf said.

"What we need right now is an all-rounder. He could be our fifth bowler," he said.

Speaking on a different issue, Yousuf was non-committal when asked whether he was disappointed when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ignored his request to send Younis to Australia.

"I can't say anything about it. It's been many days since I made the request. It's not my call. It's up to the Board and the selectors to make the decision," he said. (ANI)

Pakistan move into powerful position

Half-centuries to openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat have Pakistan well positioned to establish an imposing first-innings lead over the Australians. After an attritional second session on Monday, the tourists' supreme application at the crease was rewarded with a total of 2 for 190 and a 63-run advantage over Australia's meagre first-day tally.

The hosts would do well to analyse the manner in which Farhat and Butt set about their respective innings on the second day. The Australian top-order, minus Shane Watson, fell to forceful strokes on a seaming wicket in their ill-fated first innings; a direct contrast to the cautious and patient approach of the Pakistani openers. Content to accumulate rather than dominate, Farhat and Butt shelved their cross-bat strokes and successfully repelled threatening spells from Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson to post their third career century stand and first against Australia.

Farhat and Butt have emerged as a dependable solution to Pakistan's problematic opening slot. Their stand of 109, which took their first-wicket partnership average to a robust 47.43, built upon the foundation laid by Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami the preceding day to deliver the tourists to a position of dominance in the match. The union was not without its anxious moments, most notably when Farhat was dropped by Marcus North to a regulation slips chance off the bowling of Siddle on 11, but both stood firm on an improving pitch.

The Australians had several other chances to remove Farhat before the lunch break, though less orthodox than North's second dropped catch of the series. In a rare moment of overt aggression, Farhat attempted to charge a Watson delivery that beat the oustide edge. The batsman made no immediate effort to return to his crease, and a direct hit from Brad Haddin would have sent him back to the pavilion. Hawk-Eye later showed that a half-hearted Nathan Hauritz lbw appeal would also have resulted in Farhat's dismissal, however the Australians declined to challenge the original not-out verdict from the on-field official.

Farhat went on to raise his 13th half-century before skying an attempted sweep off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz shortly after the lunch break. Butt also fell in the second session, edging a full-length delivery from a deserving Johnson, however Faisal Iqbal and Mohammad Yousuf ensured there were no further setbacks with an unbroken 46-run third-wicket partnership heading into tea. Yousuf looked to increase the tempo of Pakistan's steady-paced innings by adding 27 in almost even time, including five boundaries, while Iqbal continued the grinding approach of Pakistan's openers to frustrate the Australian bowlers.

The hosts were guilty on occasion of bowling too straight a line, but were nonetheless probing and beat the outside edge on numerous occasions in the first session. Batting conditions improved over the course of the afternoon with the sun intermittently piercing the clouds and the wicket drying, making all the more puzzling Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first on a Sydney green-top.

Shahid Afridi : "Rajasthan and Kolkatta would be my preferred choice in the IPL"

Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, Pakistan's Twenty/20 captain Shahid Afridi confirmed that his preferred choice of teams in the Indian Premier League would be either inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals or Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkatta Knight Riders.

"There are a number of franchises that would interest me in the next season of IPL and lets wait and see what happens at the all important auction, but my preferred destinations would be either The Rajasthan Royals or the Kolkatta Knight Riders" stated Afridi.

Both the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkatta Knight Riders employed Pakistani players in the first IPL tournament, with Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir starring for tournament one champions Rajasthan, whlst Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Akhtar represented Kolkatta.

Afridi who boasts a strike rate of over 146 in Twenty/20 internationals is currently taking part in the Twenty/20 Big Bash for South Australia and has lit up the tournament with 2 Man of the Match performances in both his outings. Afridi was also a key member of the Pakistan squad that lifted the Twenty/20 World Cup tournament last year in England.

"The Big Bash is going live to India so it's a great opportunity for those players in the IPL player list to show potential bidders what they can do for their teams" added the flamboyant all rounder.

Afridi who is widely regarded as one of cricket's great entertainers feels that his time in Australia playing for South Australia, will be beneficial to Pakistan in the forthcoming one day series and Twenty/20.

"The Big Bash is an important tournament obviously for South Australia and myself but also it can be beneficial for Pakistan. I'm really focussed on helping South Australia qualify for the Champions League. It's tough and very competitive cricket out here and there are a lot of good players, but I'm up for the challenge. I also feel that getting used to conditions out here at the various venues will put me in a good position for the forthcoming 5 match one day series for Pakistan and the Twenty/20 match at the MCG" stated Afridi.

29 year old Afridi says he's settled in well in Australia and is thoroughly enjoying his cricket. "We've got a great bunch of lads at South Australia. The morale of the team is high and everyone is working hard and backing each other up. The weather is fantastic and I'm staying in a lovely apartment with Kieron Pollard".

South Australia who have won both their matches so far, next entertain Victoria on 7th January at Adelaide.

Pakistan move into powerful position

Half-centuries to openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat have Pakistan well positioned to establish an imposing first-innings lead over the Australians. After an attritional second session on Monday, the tourists' supreme application at the crease was rewarded with a total of 2 for 190 and a 63-run advantage over Australia's meagre first-day tally.

The hosts would do well to analyse the manner in which Farhat and Butt set about their respective innings on the second day. The Australian top-order, minus Shane Watson, fell to forceful strokes on a seaming wicket in their ill-fated first innings; a direct contrast to the cautious and patient approach of the Pakistani openers. Content to accumulate rather than dominate, Farhat and Butt shelved their cross-bat strokes and successfully repelled threatening spells from Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson to post their third career century stand and first against Australia.

Farhat and Butt have emerged as a dependable solution to Pakistan's problematic opening slot. Their stand of 109, which took their first-wicket partnership average to a robust 47.43, built upon the foundation laid by Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami the preceding day to deliver the tourists to a position of dominance in the match. The union was not without its anxious moments, most notably when Farhat was dropped by Marcus North to a regulation slips chance off the bowling of Siddle on 11, but both stood firm on an improving pitch.

The Australians had several other chances to remove Farhat before the lunch break, though less orthodox than North's second dropped catch of the series. In a rare moment of overt aggression, Farhat attempted to charge a Watson delivery that beat the oustide edge. The batsman made no immediate effort to return to his crease, and a direct hit from Brad Haddin would have sent him back to the pavilion. Hawk-Eye later showed that a half-hearted Nathan Hauritz lbw appeal would also have resulted in Farhat's dismissal, however the Australians declined to challenge the original not-out verdict from the on-field official.

Farhat went on to raise his 13th half-century before skying an attempted sweep off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz shortly after the lunch break. Butt also fell in the second session, edging a full-length delivery from a deserving Johnson, however Faisal Iqbal and Mohammad Yousuf ensured there were no further setbacks with an unbroken 46-run third-wicket partnership heading into tea. Yousuf looked to increase the tempo of Pakistan's steady-paced innings by adding 27 in almost even time, including five boundaries, while Iqbal continued the grinding approach of Pakistan's openers to frustrate the Australian bowlers.

The hosts were guilty on occasion of bowling too straight a line, but were nonetheless probing and beat the outside edge on numerous occasions in the first session. Batting conditions improved over the course of the afternoon with the sun intermittently piercing the clouds and the wicket drying, making all the more puzzling Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first on a Sydney green-top.

ICL returnees, 26 Pakistan players register for IPL auction

Ninety-seven players, including 26 from Pakistan and several latterly with the ICL, have registered for the third IPL auction, which will be held on January 19. The list also includes four players from Associate countries - Rizwan Cheema and Khurram Chohan (Canada), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Niall O'Brien (Ireland) - as well as former Zimbabwe nationals Murray Goodwin and Ray Price.

Prominent among the players who were part of the unofficial ICL are Shane Bond, who recently retired from Test cricket, Damien Martyn, Chris Cairns, Saqlain Mushtaq and Justin Kemp.

The Pakistanis - the current world Twenty20 champions - include Mohammed Aamer and Umar Akmal, and the list also includes the exciting West Indian Kieron Pollard.

Merely registering, however, does not guarantee the player will be included in the auction list. The IPL will send the list of 97 names to the franchises who will then select those players they would like included in the auction. The selected players will be informed of their inclusion by January 5.

The number of overseas players a franchise may have on its roster is capped at ten and at present it is unclear how many slots are available. In 2009, over 100 players registered for the auction out of which 50 went under the hammer to fill 17 available overseas slots. The IPL said it expected the number of places to be substantially lower this time.

The list sets a "preliminary expected availability" date against each player's name and, intriguingly, those from Australia and South Africa have been marked as free from the conclusion of their domestic competitions - the Sheffield Shield, in the case of Australian players, and the Standard Bank Pro20 series for South Africans. This suggests that the league has shifted from its earlier stated position, that players would have to put the IPL above their domestic tournaments and be available for the entire season.

That decision, taken in November, said defaulting players would face penalties including termination of player contracts and a ban on future participation, although Lalit Modi, the league's chairman, told Cricinfo that this would only happen in a worst-case scenario.


Registered players



Pakistan: Mohammed Aamer, Shahid Afridi, Shahzad Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Khalil, Abdur Rauf, Khalid Latif, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Khurram Manzoor, Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami.

Sri Lanka: Malinga Bandara, Indika de Saram, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Jehan Mubarak, Thisara Perera, Dammika Prasad, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Gihan Rupasinghe, Upul Tharanga, Kaushalya Weeraratne, ChanakaWelegedara.

South Africa: Yusuf Abdulla, Nicky Boje, Zander de Bruyn, Tyron Henderson, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Andre Nel, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Johan van der Wath, CJ de Villiers.

New Zealand: Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Chris Cairns, Brendon Diamanti, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Nathan McCullum, Daryl Tuffey, Lou Vincent.

West Indies: Carlton Baugh, Tino Best, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.

Australia: Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Ashley Noffke, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Graham Manou, Damien Martyn, Clint McKay, Adam Voges.

England: Tim Bresnan, Anthony McGrath, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Adil Rashid, Jonathan Trott Usman Afzaal, James Foster.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Shahriar Nafees.

Canada: Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan.

Zimbabwe: Murray Goodwin, Ray Price.

Ireland: Niall O'Brien

Netherlands: Ryan ten Doeschate

Pakistan look to tighten up their act

Pakistan's New Year has begun with a setback. Mohammad Aamer, who bagged a five-for at the MCG and was, by far, his team's best bowler, has been ruled out of the SCG Test due to a groin injury. The blow deprives Pakistan of a potent fast-bowling force that they would have heavily banked on in their attempt to level the series.

However, there is still room for hope. Were it not for a bungled selection move and a series of turfed first-innings catches, Pakistan might well have provided Australia a sterner challenge in the Boxing Day Test. Aamer's new-ball partner Mohammad Asif and offspinner Saeed Ajmal were for the most part a disciplined unit at the MCG, but were undermined by a poor fielding display and the unthreatening bowling of Abdur Rauf.

For Pakistan, the New Year's Test represents an opportunity for a fresh start after a depressing 2009 campaign which saw them cast as cricketing nomads following the decision, based on security advice, to strip them of host venue status. The SCG was the site of their last victory over Australia 15 years ago, and the expected reintroduction of Danish Kaneria into the attack should provide them with added pep.

Australia, on the other hand, produced one of their finest all-round displays in the post-Warne/McGrath era. The evolution of Shane Watson and Simon Katich as a potent opening combination, the maturation of Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger in their respective old- and new-ball roles and the rise of Nathan Hauritz auger well for a new decade and the varied challenges it will bring.

Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia - WWDWL
Pakistan - LDWLD

Watch out for...
Mitchell Johnson found his groove as a first-change specialist towards the end of a tumultuous 2009 campaign. His pace, bounce and reverse swing with the old ball at the MCG proved harassing for Pakistan's batsmen, and served as the perfect foil for fast bowling counterparts Bollinger and Peter Siddle. The recognition may have gone the way of Hauritz following his maiden five-wicket haul, but Johnson's match figures of 6 for 82 from 40 overs were the most prolific and economical of the Australian attack.

Danish Kaneria proved his workman-like qualities with his first visit to the SCG, claiming 7 for 188 from 49.3 challenging overs in the first innings against a rampant Australian batting line-up. Now recovered from the finger injury that ruled him out of the Melbourne Test, Kaneria is set to join forces with Ajmal in a twin-spin attack on Australia's most famous turning surface. The younger contingent of Australia's modern day batting line-up have had little exposure to quality legspin, possibly providing Kaneria with an early advantage.

Ricky Ponting was surprised by Kaneria's record when he checked it out last week. "He's a very good bowler but I saw his record come up against some of the great spinners of the last 10 years and it stacks up very well against the best of them," he said. "His record is actually better than Abdul Qadir and everyone knows how highly regarded he was. "We have played him here before and he has bowled well."

Team news
Simon Katich's elbow problem is enough of an issue for Phillip Hughes to be called in as a standby, although it would take a lot for Katich to give up his spot after working so hard to get it back. Ponting (elbow) and Hauritz (groin) are carrying niggles, however the fact selectors opted against naming shadow players indicates those two will play. Marcus North appears the only member of the starting XI under pressure with three single-figure dismissals this summer to balance out two half-centuries. The final two Tests against Pakistan will provide a strong indicator as to whether he will be retained for this year's Ashes series.

Australia: (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pakistan have been dealt a serious blow, with Aamer missing out due to a groin injury. Pakistan are likely to make a few changes, with Umar Gul replacing Abdur Rauf, and Mohammad Sami taking Aamer's place. They will also require the services of a specialist spinner and a fit Kaneria, who claimed seven first innings wickets at the SCG in his only previous visit five years ago, and looks likely to replace offspinner Saeed Ajmal.

Pakistan: (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Faisal Iqbal, 4 Mohammad Yousuf (capt), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Mohammad Sami, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Danish Kaneria

Pitch and conditions
The SCG pitch has worn many faces this year - from the slow, low track of the NSW-Tasmania Sheffield Shield game to the hard, seaming deck of the NSW-Victoria one-dayer. Tom Parker, the SCG curator, is hoping for something in between, but believes recent rain in Sydney will provide the fast bowlers with assistance. Indeed, the pitch had a distinct green tinge two days before the coin toss, save for a bare patch two-thirds of the way down the strip. Just whether that will prove helpful for the spinners remains to be seen. Further rain on Saturday added to the groundstaff's worries.

Stats and trivia
Australia's 170-run victory at the MCG was their tenth consecutive Test win against Pakistan. Pakistan's last success over Australia in the Test arena came at the SCG in 1995, albeit in the final match of a series the hosts had already won.
Pakistan closed out a difficult 2009 campaign with a Test record of one win, four losses and four draws. Australia's record for the corresponding period was seven wins, three losses and three draws; a marked improvement on their 5-5-4 record from the previous year.
Katich and Shane Watson have amassed 856 runs for the first wicket in just seven Tests as Australia's opening combination, including three century and as many half-century stands. Their partnership average of 71.33 trails only Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe among opening partnerships with ten or more innings together.
Quotes
"We know what to expect from them, we know they have some very talented players. Last week we had their measure, up to us to make sure we start well again."
Ricky Ponting on his opponents.

Shane Watson, Mohammad Asif return to place of debut

Five years have passed since Shane Watson and Mohammad Asif made their Test debuts at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite inauspicious outings - Watson fell over delivering his first ball, Asif failed to take a wicket in either innings - great things were expected of the duo by their respective nations, both of which had invested much time and many resources into their development.

This week, Watson and Asif return to the SCG having managed just 14 further Tests since their initial Sydney experience. Injuries, role realignment and, in the case of Asif, drug indiscretions have severely disrupted what might have been a prosperous few years at a time when both teams were desperately attempting to unearth a new generation of superstars. This certainly wasn't in the script.

Fate, however, has conspired to deliver both players back to the SCG in the kind of senior roles originally predicted for them. Granted, few in 2005 would have tipped Watson to one day open the innings at a time when he was sandwiched between Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne at No. 7, but his match-winning ability with bat and ball, along with the selection flexibility he offers, were precisely the outcomes Australia's selectors had hoped would materialise.

"It seems so long ago, my Test debut here," Watson recalled. "It's amazing how at the time I thought I was ready to go. I thought I was in a good place back when I was a youngster, but you don't realise how much you can learn and the things you really can develop as a batsman, as a cricketer and as a person.

"The confidence definitely plays a big part, knowing I've performed and been able to be successful whether it's been one-day cricket or Test match cricket at the top of the order, and taking on some of the best bowlers in the world with the brand new ball. That makes a big difference to any sportsman. Physically I'm in a much different place to what I was when I was 23. I was more like a rugby league player than a cricketer at that stage. I feel I'm more like a cricketer now physically. It's amazing how things develop and pan out the way they do."

Australia defeated Pakistan in the 2005 Sydney Test by nine wickets, largely due to the first innings double-century by Ricky Ponting and the combined 13-wicket haul from Stuart MacGill and Shane Warne. Five years on, it will be Pakistan fielding two spinners as Danish Kaneria, who claimed seven first innings wickets in his last Sydney appearance, joins Saeed Ajmal on a surface expected to take turn despite its greenish tinge two days from the coin toss.

Watson recalls the damage inflicted by Kaneria in 2005 - his maiden Test innings was terminated by the Pakistani leg spinner, caught Asif, for 31 - and expected him to prove a potent addition to the tourist's attack after missing the Boxing Day Test with a finger injury. "He knows how to bowl well here in Sydney," Watson said. "He does get a lot of revs on the ball, whether it's his top-spinner, his leggie or his wrong'un. He will definitely be a big challenge, there's no doubt about that, and I think it will give them a little more firepower with it spinning in Sydney. It's going to be a big challenge and as a batting unit hopefully we can make sure he doesn't have the Test that he really wants."

Asif, meanwhile, will be called upon to lead Pakistan's attack and replicate the control and accuracy that defined his performance at the MCG last week. The erratic, no-ball prone fast bowler who returned match figures off 0-88 from 18 overs on debut re-emerged in Australia as a purveyor of precision, if not raw pace, to tie down the hosts' batsmen for extended periods.

Still just 27, Asif has before him the opportunity to put right a career that veered wildly off course after his last appearance in Sydney. The path back to the SCG may have been treacherous, but it might yet lead to a bright future.