Dubai: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis feels Mitchell Johnson still has a long way to go to evoke any comparison with his former teammate and bowling partner Wasim Akram.
Asked to compare Johnson — who presents the biggest threat for Pakistan ahead of the Test series — with the legendary Akram who could run through batting line-ups, Waqar said: “I won’t compare anyone with Wasim [Akram] for sure. He [Akram] is a legend and has done wonders for Pakistan over the last decade or so. Johnson has a long way to go if he wants to be compared with Wasim, but yes he is definitely a threat and a very fine bowler.”
When asked to elaborate on the impact Johnson can have, Waqar said: “There is no doubt that he is an X factor, he is the most improved bowler in the last few years. I think initially in his career he had not been that big a threat but in the last two three years, he has definitely changed his mode and become a lot better bowler. He is more attacking and we know that they may use him in short spells and look for wickets from him. He is a fine bowler but we will try to tackle him the way we can.”
Waqar expressed delight with the Pakistan A team’s victory over the Australians in Sharjah. “I was there and watched most of the game there. It was good to see youngsters doing well there and it definitely has given us a boost. We have also seen some weaknesses [in Australians] and will try to utlise that for good in the Tests.”
Asked what weaknesses he had observed in the Australians, Waqar ducked the question: “They are a good team and we all know that they are a very professional side and do their things well. We have definitely seen some weaknesses and we are working on it and hopefully we will deliver the goods.”
Waqar said he did not think that the wicket itself posed a threat to the Australians. “They have just won a series [One Day Internationals]. They know how to bat here, play here but we have our plans,” he said.
Waqar also expressed hope that reverse swing could play a big role in the Test match. “We have seen that in the past as well that reverse swing comes into play on these slow pitches as there is no grass on the pitches. It is good to see some young fast bowlers coming through in the line-up, [Mohammad] Talha who looks fitter than before, Rahat Ali who has improved and Imran Khan and Zulfiqar Babar are bowling well. So we have a fairly good pace attack and hoping to do well.”
On whether Michael Clarke getting out cheaply in the four-day matches was an encouraging sign, Waqar said: “Look the four-day match was more of a practice. It wasn’t a first class [game], only a practice match. I hope Australia got what they wanted from that match, but Clarke getting out and that he hasn’t played for a while is a fact. I would say that’s an edge but he is a classy player and he can come out and deliver for Australia anytime. We all are aware of that.”
Waqar also said he was confident that captain Misbah-Ul Haq would hit form in time. “Honestly, Misbah’s performance has not been as good as we would have wanted and as much as we rely on him. As a coach, I can see from his body language that he is going to come back in form.”