Australia vs Pakistan 2019:Three Pakistan players to watch out for in Test series

Highly-flying Australia are taking on a new-look Pakistan side in the two-Test series, starting with a five-day contest in Brisbane from November 21.

The home side will enter the contest as firm favorites after thrashing the visitors with a 2-0 margin in the recently concluded three-match T20I series.Therefore, we have compiled a list of three players from the Men-in-Green unit who are capable of surprising the home side in the five-day contest.

Babar Azam

Babar Azam is being widely termed as one of the best batsman across all formats in the game. The right-hander’s overall average in the five-day format is just over 35, however, in the last 12 months, he is averaging nearly 48 in eight Test matches with the help of one century and five half-centuries.

Therefore, Azam will be eager to continue improving his average in the longest format of the game and put his name amongst the very best in the world by producing the goods against the best bowling attack that too on their own backyard. Azam has represented the Men-in-Green in 21 Tests where he has scored 1,235 runs at an average of 35.28, which included one century and 11 fifties.

Asad Shafiq

Asad Shafiq is one of the most senior batsman in the current Pakistan team. The right-hander played one of the most memorable knock by a Pakistani batsman on the Australian soil during the 2016 tour when he nearly single- handedly guided the visitors to a famous win while chasing a mammoth target of 490 by scoring 137 off 207 balls at The Gabba in Brisbane.

Therefore, Shafiq will be eager to repeat the heroics of 2016 for the Men-in-Green in the two-Test series this time around as well.

The 33-year-old has represented Pakistan in 69 Tests in his career where he has scored 4,323 runs at an average of 38.94, which included 12 centuries and 23 half-centuries.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shaheen Shah Afridi is slowly but surely becoming Pakistan’s go to bowler, that too just at the age of 19. The left-arm pacer has already represented his country in three Tests, 19 ODIs and 10 T20Is in his short career where he has more than 60 wickets to his name.

Afridi is coming after a lengthy injury layoff and it will be interesting to see how he will adjust in the conditions Down Under. However, the Lahore Qalandars’ pacer will be hoping to leave his mark in the two-Test series that too while playing against one of the toughest opposition.