Hazlewood questions surprising selection

Australia’s new vice-captain Josh Hazlewood has questioned Pakistan's decision to field an 'A' team against the Australians without a specialist spinner, a move that has the pace ace believing the hosts might be "scared" ahead of the two-Test series.

In their sole tour match before the first Test begins in Dubai on Sunday, Australia on Tuesday declared their first innings on 4-494 from a whopping 170 overs with Test aspirants Travis Head (90) and Marnus Labushagne (39) still unbeaten at the crease.

While the Pakistan A pace attack boasts international experience in Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz, there is no frontline spinner in the XI, meaning the slow bowling duties were left to part-timers Iftikhar Ahmed and Asad Shafiq, middle-order batsmen who bowled 65 and 33 overs respectively. 

In a series that's expected to be dominated by spin - Pakistan named three spinners in their initial Test squad and then added a fourth option in the form of veteran allrounder Mohammad Hafeez - the absence of a specialist spinner for the tour match certainly raised some eyebrows.

The Australians have not complained about their opponents - in fact, senior figure Nathan Lyon said he was impressed by the strength of the Pakistan A batting line-up - but Hazlewood says the decision to not play a frontline tweaker suggests the hosts have opted for a defensive tactic, one he would not have employed.

"I think you can look at it a couple of ways," Hazlewood said on the latest episode of The Unplayable Podcast.

"Maybe they're a little bit on the shy, timid side by not playing a spinner and they're trying to hide them obviously from us and go down that road.

"But I think if you were them, you'd play nearly your best spinners and try to bowl us out twice and create some doubt in our batsmen's minds that way.

"They're maybe a little bit scared, not trying to show us any spin but we're going to face a lot of (spinners) in the nets.

"We've got spinners coming over from India with Sri (Sridharan Sriram, Australia's spin consultant) and obviously (we’ve) got three spinners of our own.

"The guys are going to get enough in the nets and around training."

Without the threat of a full-time spinner, Australia's batsmen filled their boots at the ICC Academy ground.

In addition to Head and Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh made 162, brother Shaun compiled 94 and uncapped opener Aaron Finch scored 54.

A monster first-innings total is exactly what’s needed in Tests on Asian soil and Hazlewood is pleased to see his teammates rack up the runs.

"They faced more quicks than they would've thought heading in to the (first Test) but to get some valuable time in the middle in a tour match, there's nothing better than that," he said from Sydney, where he’s remained as he slowly returns to playing after a back injury.

"And the boys have batted big, which you've got to do in your first innings in those conditions.

"It's a good blueprint for the Test matches coming up and hopefully they can keep that up."

While Pakistan A might not have a potent spinner, Australia fielded spin twins Lyon and Jon Holland and between them captured nine of the 10 first-innings wickets.

Eight of those wickets belonged to Lyon, who Hazlewood says continues to get better.

"Even last summer during the Ashes he was unbelievable, really," he said.

"He bowled so many overs and didn't go for runs and picked (up) wickets.

"It's a perfect foil for our three quicks, we can do our thing from one end and he does his job from the other.

"It's great when he's bowling well, (he provides) a really good balance for the team and subcontinent-wise he's gone to another level."

Qantas Tour of the UAE

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

Pakistan Test squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez

Sep 29 - Oct 2: Tour match v Pak A, Dubai

Oct 7-11: First Test, Dubai

Oct 16-20: Second Test, Abu Dhabi