Teenage quicks: Young Pakistan square up to Smith and Warner

Pakistan he into opening Test in Brisbane on Thursday seeking a rare win on Australian soil, and could unleash a 16-year-old debutant in a teen pace attack against seasoned stars Steve Smith and David Warner. Pakistan have drawn a series in Australia, but have never won one, and last tasted a Test victory at Sydney in 1995 A handful of players, including new skipper Azhar Ali, Babar Azam and in-form As Shafiq, were part of ir last tour in 2016/17 when y crashed 3-0, but are better for it, said n-captain and w he coach Misbah-ul-Haq.

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"Our previous record in Australia won't put us under pressure," he said.

"If anything, it'll be an opportunity and motivation to win because whatever we couldn't achieve in past, we can do w.

"It's a young and hungry team and it means business," he ded.

"This team wants to take challenge. We want to give our best, play good cricket and think about winning."

y will be relying heavily on Azam and Shafiq, who scored a century in Brisbane three years ago and has h a perfect le-up this time, hitting an unbeaten 119 against Australia A n 101 t out against a Cricket Australia XI. Australia, though, are on a roll. y retained Ashes with a 2-2 draw in England in September and beat Pakistan 2-0 in ir recent Twenty20 series. How bowlers fare will be key on a Gabba wicket tritionally seen as a paceman's parise.

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'Smelling blood'

Australia boast experienced Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, however James Pattinson will be missing after being suspended this week for player abuse. Pakistan may unveil teen quick Naseem Shah, 16, for his debut as part of a young attack boasting 19-year-olds Shaheen Afridi and Musa Khan, alongside impressive Muhamm Abbas and veteran Imran Khan senior. ir credentials were on show in build-up against an Australian A team in Perth featuring Test players Joe Burns, Travis He, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, dismissing m for 122.

But removing Smith and Warner -- in ir first home Test since ir ball-tampering bans -- will likely be a different proposition. Skipper Tim Paine said Australia A game was irrelevant. "I saw that Pakistan are smelling blood in water or whatever y said," he told reporters. "What happened in Perth has got thing to do with what is going to happen at Gabba."

While Warner h a miserable Ashes, scoring just 95 runs at an aver of 9.5, he has since bounced back into form. Smith, meanwhile, is still revelling in his remarkable series in England, where he scored 774 runs in just seven innings and played a pivotal role in his side's two victories. Omiusly for Pakistan, he hit a century when y last played in Brisbane in late 2016.

Despite his poor Ashes run, Warner's spot at top of order was never in doubt, but Australia have struggled to find a suitable partner. Burns, who scored a century in his last Test against Sri Lanka in February, is set to assume job in Brisbane ahe of Bancroft. Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis He and Matw We round out middle order. second and final Test, a day-night affair, is in elaide later this month.

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Squs

Australia: Tim Paine (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis He, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matw We, David Warner

Pakistan: Azhar Ali (capt), Abid Ali, As Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan senior, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashid Bhatti, Mohamm Abbas, Mohamm Rizwan, Nusa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

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