Afridi's men face big test

Shahid Afridi, who absented himself from Test cricket for four years, is the man in charge of captaining a team.

Pakistan failed to win a match of any description in Australia this year and lost their 12th consecutive Test against the Australians. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) responded by banning or fining half the side for under-performing.

Faced with two Tests against Australia followed by four against England, the PCB then back-tracked with equal haste by lifting the bans, reducing the fines and even welcoming back their maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to the one-day team.

Afridi, as two Twenty20 victories over Australia this month confirmed, has a fine bunch of bowlers with a pace attack comprising teenager Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul and abundant spin resources in Afridi, Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine and leg-spinner Steven Smith get an opportunity to press their claims in the absence of Brad Haddin and Nathan Hauritz.