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Pakistan tour game irrelevant says Paine

3 minute read

Australia's captain Tim Paine has downplayed the significance of Pakistan's impressive tour game form ahead of the first Test at the Gabba.

TIM PAINE.
TIM PAINE. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Australian captain Tim Paine has delivered Pakistan a reality check, saying their Perth rout is irrelevant to the upcoming Test series.

The tourists skittled an Australia A batting line-up for just 122 all out in a tune-up to the first Test starting next Thursday in Brisbane.

But Paine dismisses any bearing of that warm-up game to the series-opener at the Gabba.

"I saw that Pakistan are smelling blood in the water or whatever they said," Paine told reporters in Adelaide.

"What happened in Perth has got nothing to do with what is going to happen at the Gabba."

Paine drew similarities with the Ashes after England's miracle Test win in Headingly.

"The same thing happened in England with the Headingly Test - 'Oh, momentum' and all these words that don't matter," he said.

"Ball one at the Gabba next week is all square and we start again."

Australia named a 14-strong squad for the first Test with opener Joe Burns recalled after being axed for the Ashes.

"That was a tough call to make, for Joe to miss out on that (series)," Paine said.

"He has come back to Queensland and hasn't put huge runs on the board but I think has been pretty consistent.

"He has shown over the years that he is a class player and his best cricket will score Test runs."

Travis Head is also set to return to the middle order after being dropped for the final Ashes Test.

Head, who scored a Sheffield Shield century for South Australia against NSW last week, has been named joint vice-captain with Pat Cummins for the Pakistan series.

"He (Head) he obviously scored an excellent hundred last week against a world-class attack so I'm sure he has taken a lot of confidence from that," Paine said.

"Trav's Test match record is outstanding for such a young cricketer. We have got full confidence in him."

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