LAHORE: For former great Zaheer Abbas, Australia’s tour to Pakistan will not only benefit the local fans but also the cricket as a sport globally.

Pakistani fans have waited for more than a decade for full fledge cricket to return to the country after an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore back in 2009.

The Australian team’s tour, which starts with the first of the three-match Test series in Rawalpindi on Friday, is the first featuring a full-strength Test side since the unfortunate incident. For Australia, it’s their first visit to Pakistan in 24 years.

“Hopefully, the tour will end on a positive note and the public will get to watch good, competitive cricket since both teams have world-class players,” legendary batter Zaheer told Dawn.

The Pindi Cricket Stadium pitch is expected to offer assistance to batters, fast bowlers and spinners during different stages of the game, according to reports emerging from the garrison city.

Pakistan are being considered the favourites since Australia haven’t got much time to acclimatise to the conditions, but the visitors, who arrived on Sunday, come into the series with a balanced squad.

Zaheer, who played 78 Tests for Pakistan in the 70s and 80s amassing 5062 runs, hoped Pakistan will take full advantage of their home conditions. “Australia have come with a strong team and look good in all the departments and beating them would be an incredible victory for Pakistan,” said the former Inter­­national Cricket Council president.

Zaheer scored 1411 runs in 20 Tests against Australia — 15 of them away from home — said Pakistan would be relying on their batters to put up good scores before handing the bowlers’ the role to get quick wickets.

The Test series will be played as a part of the ICC World Test Championship, in which Pakistan are placed third, right beneath Australia. Babar Azam’s men will be looking to take a shot on the WTC title after a memorable 2021.

Zaheer said the Australia series will help Pakistan gauge their strengths and weaknesses, which will help them in the future.

The 74-year-old urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to arrange more Test matches for the team, which is set to face the Australians who won last years’ Ashes series against with 4-0 margin.

After the Tests — the second and third scheduled to be held in Karachi and Lahore respectively — Pakistan and Australia will play three One-day Inter­nationals and a solitary Twenty20 International, also in Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2022