Pakistan’s lack of express pace ‘surprising’

After being challenged in the initial stages of the opening Test in Perth, Australia took charge and cruised to a massive 360-run win against Pakistan. Along with Nathan Lyon, Australia's pace attack showed top form. The fast bowlers, who clocked in the vicinity of 140s, picked 13 wickets.

This was in stark contrast to the Pakistan pacers, who clocked at substantially lower numbers. While Shaheen Afridi struggled on the wicket, the two debutants impressed with the zip they got around the wicket. Khurram Shahzad picked five, while Aamer Jamal picked seven wickets.

Australia's Mitchell Starc said that his team was surprised at Pakistan's lack of pace, though he added that pace wasn't the "be-all and end-all" to fast bowling.

"I think everyone was slightly surprised at the lower pace of the Pakistan bowlers when you're generally used to some guys getting in the 150s," Starc said. "I don't think that pace is the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part and can help."

Starc cited Boland as an example of a player who didn't need pace to be effective. However, he added that Boland was a useful addition to an attack that already possessed good pace options.

"Case in point, you look at Scotty Boland who can bowl good wheels, but he's not at your top end of pace bowlers. But he generates a lot of sideways movement here in Melbourne, obviously being his home ground.

"He's done it for a long time and we saw that obviously against England [during the Ashes in 2021, where Boland picked 6/7 in his debut Test], where every ball he bowled could have been a wicket. Certainly, for our attack, we all complement each other well by doing things very differently."

A similar sentiment was shared by former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis recently on ESPN's show Around the Wicket.

"I'm seeing medium and slow medium pacers. I'm seeing allrounders," Waqar said. "There's no real pace. People used to come to watch Pakistani pace bowlers running in hard, and bowling 150 clicks.

"That's what I'm not seeing and that's what my worry is.

"That's my worry at the domestic level as well. I can understand there are a few injuries, but in the past, you saw a battery of fast bowlers in reserve that Pakistan could bring on. But unfortunately, that is not there, and it's something I'm really worried about."

Pakistan's bowling attack has depleted considerably after the opening match, first with pacer Khurram Shahzad ruled out due to a stress fracture. Later, Noman Ali too had to leave the squad after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Abrar Ahmed too will miss the second Test due to foot discomfort.

The second Test will take place at the MCG in the traditional Boxing Day contest.