Even Pakistan had chance to win Test series in Australia, says Mohammad Yousuf

Former Pakistan captain and batting great Muhammad Yousuf reckons that even the current Pakistan team could have beaten Australia in a Test series. India recorded a historic 2-1 series win Down Under, becoming the first sub-continent team to taste such success.

Yousuf said the current Australian team is one of the weakest he has seen but insisted he was not trying to devalue the feat of the Indian team.

“What the Indians have achieved is big and they played well to win the series but it is also a fact that when Pakistan beat Australia one nil in UAE last Sept-Oct, I was not surprised at all. Such is the strength of this Australian side,” Yousuf told PTI.

Yousuf said he had no doubt that if Pakistan went to Australia now they would also have good chances of winning a test series for the first time.

“I think India and Pakistan compared to Australia are very good sides. India in particular has quality batsmen and their bowlers have also learnt the art of bowling in test cricket,” he said.

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The veteran of 90 tests and 288 One-Day internationals said that Australia for the last two years had struggled to win outside their country and their performance has suffered due to absence of banned Steve Smith and David Warner.

“The Australians are struggling at the moment. Their batting is not showing quality and because of this their bowlers have also struggled badly,” he opined.

Yousuf said until Smith and Warner returned to the Australian side their World Cup chances were also bleak.