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Fiery Riaz vows aggressive approach

Pakistan paceman ready to confront Australia’s best batsmen head on in three-match Test series

Pakistan firebrand Wahab Riaz is prepared to match the batting aggression of Australia superstars Steve Smith and David Warner with his own brand of hostility in Thursday's opening Commonwealth Bank Test at the Gabba.

Wahab drew headlines in Australia during the 2015 World Cup when he peppered the hosts – and particularly Shane Watson – with a frighteningly fast short-pitched barrage during the quarter-final in Adelaide.

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Watson won the day, but Wahab's spell became an instant World Cup classic and the left-arm quick's reputation grew exponentially thereafter.

And the 31-year-old knows there's little point in persisting with line and length when his modus operandi is more fire and brimstone, even if that means he has exchange a few extra runs for the prized wickets of Warner and Smith. 

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"Obviously I have to do what I do really well – I can't change myself because if I do that it's not going to work for me," said Wahab, who has played just 21 Tests since debuting in 2010, partly due to injuries but also because of Pakistan's reluctance to use the strike bowler as a lone quick in what is often a three-man spin attack in the United Arab Emirates.

"I am going to bowl aggressively, I will bowl short as well.

"It's part of the plan. But it will all be according to the situations and what the situation demands, how I have to react.

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"Everybody knows everything about David Warner and Steve Smith – you have to attack them. That's it.

"You cannot look for them to give you their wicket. You have to buy their wickets.

"We have to take the challenge. We know Australia is good in their home conditions, it's one of the best teams.

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"To compete with them we have to counter-attack them, we have to have that confidence.

"We've got the skills and everyone is prepared for these Test matches."

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Wahab finished with 2-54 in that famous Adelaide spell but it was Australia who prevailed, going onto win an unprecedented fifth World Cup.

Their record in Brisbane is similarly imposing, having not lost at the Gabba since 1988.

True to his character, Wahab sees that statistic more as a challenge than a problem, despite the fact that none of this Pakistan touring party has played a Test at the venue.

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"Records are meant to be broken and this might be the chance for Pakistan to break that record," he said.

"Obviously it's not going to be easy, we have to do a lot of hard work.

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"We have to take 20 wickets, and obviously we are looking for that – we know even no Asian country has won a series here in Australia.

"So we are looking for that and that should really give us a good boost and give us something to go for."

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