Coach Alam hopeful of thrashing ‘beatable’ Australia - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Despite his team’s less than a satisfactory show in the on-going Test series against New Zealand , Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam is confident that his squad would do well in the forthcoming series against the ‘beatable’ Australia. Laughing-off reports about the series Down Under to be his last assignment, Alam said his Pakistan can get the better of the Kangaroos in the series, which includes three Tests, five one-dayers and a T20 international. “There’s no doubt that it (the tour to Australia ) will be a step up. They’re still one of the best sides in Test cricket but that’s not to say they can’t be beaten. They can be beaten, and other sides like India have done that the last time they were there. The South Africans also beat them there and, to me, that means there’s also a very good chance for us as well,” The Daily Times quoted Alam, as saying. Alam said Pakistan ’s bowlers have the potential to bowl the Oz batsmen twice in the longer version of the game. He pointed out that the Australian squad has lost match winners in the past few years, which has weaken the side considerably. Alam said he believes that the Kangaroos have lost their ‘invincible’ tag, which was evident when they were pushed to the wire by the West Indies in last week’s second Test at Adelaide Oval. “They have lost some match winners, there’s no denying that. Gilchrist is not there. Glenn McGrath is not there. Shane Warne is not there either, and it makes a lot of difference. When you lose three match winners quickly, it makes a lot of difference,” he added. Alam also asserted that reports about him being axed have no truth in them. “I have signed a two-year contract and these reports are nothing but speculation. People have different ideas and different motives. I’ll be getting on the plane with the team when we go to Australia ,” he said.