Australia on journey of discovery in Pakistan

Though dominating Pakistan on home soil, Australia have not beaten them away since the 2002/03 series played in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia are on a journey of discovery as they tour Pakistan for the first time in a quarter of a century and will hope to emerge with a first away Test series win in six years.

Pat Cummins's side have not played a Test off-shore since the outbreak of COVID-19 and many of the players are visiting the South Asian nation for the first time.

Thirty-four year-old spinner Nathan Lyon, one of the squad's most senior players, was 10 when the last Australian side toured in 1998 and won a three-match series 1-0.

"I'll say it's a totally different challenge to what we're used to at home," Lyon told reporters on Wednesday, two days before the first of three Tests gets underway in Rawalpindi.

"We haven't played an away Test since 2019 so it's going to be a big challenge for us but it's a young, exciting Australian test squad that we have here at the moment."

Australia are also starting life without head coach Justin Langer, with the Western Australian having resigned in acrimony after rejecting a short-term contract extension in the wake of the 4-0 Ashes win.

Langer's former deputy Andrew McDonald has taken the reins on an interim basis.

While Pakistan has hosted a few Tests in recent years, Australia's tour will be something of a watershed for the country as it seeks to allay lingering fears about its security more than a decade after gunmen attacked a convoy carrying the Sri Lanka team in 2009.

Cricket's other major powers India and England have not played a Test there since the attack, and New Zealand abruptly aborted a white-ball tour last September just before the first match after an undisclosed security threat.

A death threat made to spinner Ashton Agar via social media this week generated headlines in Australia, though it was dismissed following an investigation by the countries' cricket boards and government security agencies.

"We're feeling incredibly safe in Pakistan," said vice captain Steve Smith.

Though dominating Pakistan on home soil, Australia have not beaten them away since the 2002/03 series played in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

The pitches in Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore will be an unknown quantity but are expected to be more pace-friendly than wickets in neighbouring India or in the UAE.

Fast bowlers have taken a lion's share of wickets in the five Tests played in Pakistan since 2019, which included a 2-0 series win over South Africa in Feb. 2021.

Pakistan's preparations have been disrupted with untimely injuries and a positive COVID-19 test for fast bowler Haris Rauf, who has been replaced in the first Test squad by teenage quick Naseem Shah.

All the same, the hosts are confident home conditions will give them an edge.

"They play tough cricket,” Pakistan coach Saqlain Mushtaq said of the Australians.

"Obviously we have to play tough cricket against them. They had a really good series against England, but they are coming to our territory and we will give our best."