Aussies foreigners in a foreign land

With a slew of fresh faces and a distinct lack of hard-nosed veterans, headline writers could have been forgiven for referring to Australia’s new-look squad for the Bangladesh tour as ‘The Baggy Greenhorns’.

But beyond the obvious lack of international experience (this 15-man Australia squad boasts just 207 Test caps between them – that’s a tick under 14 per man), lies another telling stat that brings home just how foreign the task confronting Steve Smith’s group really is.

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Forget 207 Test caps - not a single one of those have come in Bangladesh.

Try instead three ODI caps (all belonging to Smith).

Eight Twenty20 international matches (four each to Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc).

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And an Under-19s World Cup tournament way back in 2004 (stand up, Stephen O’Keefe).

That equates to a little more than a dozen games in Bangladesh, sprinkled over the past 11 years and across two limited-overs formats.

“There’s not too many guys in the squad who have actually been there,” Nathan Lyon told cricket.com.au with typical understatement at the launch of the Milo In2Cricket and T20 Blast for the 2015-16 season today.

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“So it’s an exciting time for us and it’s a challenge, and that’s the best thing about playing international cricket – we get to challenge ourselves day in, day out, so if we can get better each day that we’re there, hopefully there result will go our way.”

Lyon, now Australia’s most successful off-spinner and in the midst of a particularly productive 12 months, is likely to relish the helpful conditions on offer to spinners in Bangladesh, though as he has experienced on the subcontinent previously, friendly pitches can be countered by local batsmen adept at playing the turning ball.

The 27-year-old took 16 wickets in the Ashes to bring his career tally to 162 in 46 Tests – a number of appearances that makes him the second-most seasoned member of the touring party behind Victorian paceman Peter Siddle (57).

Together with captain Smith (33 Tests) and left-arm quick Mitchell Starc (22), the foursome are, incredibly, the only players with more than 20 matches in Baggy Green to their name.

By way of comparison, the last Australian XI to begin a Test series in Bangladesh, on April 9, 2006, boasted a whopping 661 Tests between them, at 60 Tests per head. 

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And as the Australians resume training ahead of a September 28 departure to a land largely unknown, Lyon insists there won’t be a shred of complacency when it comes to their opposition, the eighth-ranked Test nation who have only beaten Zimbabwe (five times) and West Indies (twice) in their 93-match history stretching back to 2000.

“We had a couple of days off after the Ashes, but now it’s back into training full swing,” he said. “I’m trying to get ready, get myself prepared to face Bangladesh.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge, especially over there in their conditions.

“They’re a talented team and they’ve been playing some good cricket at home, so it’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re up for it and we’re looking forward to it.”

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Peter Nevill at today's Milo In2Cricket and T20 Blast launch // Getty Images

Teammate Peter Nevill was similarly wary of the Tigers, who have beaten Pakistan, India and South Africa in ODI series at home in 2015 to show signs that, in the 50-over game at least, they can legitimately compete with the world’s best.

“It’s going to be a challenging tour – we’re a fresh young group with a lot to prove,” said Nevill, who replaced Brad Haddin in this year’s Ashes and is out to cement his place in Australia’s Test XI.

“It’s obviously a big hole to fill when you have so many guys transitioning out of the side at the one time, but it presents a great opportunity for us and I’m sure Steve Smith will captain us well.

“We’re obviously going over there to win the series, but it’s going to be a challenge; Bangladesh will be tough to beat in their own conditions, but if we play well, we should be able to do that.”