Shiell: Review of ACA tour to Pakistan. (17 Oct 95)

Title: School of Hard Knocks Author: Alan Shiell Source: Sports Weekly (October 17, 1995)

Victorian wicketkepper-batsman Peter Roach and SA leg-spinner Evan Arnold were the outstanding performers on the Australian Cricket Academy`s recent tour of Pakistan. Academy coach Rod Marsh said Hawthorn-Waverly`s Roach, 20, "kept brilliantly" and scored the team`s only century - 136 not out off 130 balls in Lahore. Sturt`s Arnold, 21, took 15 wickets at less than 20 runs apiece in three four-day matches.

The young Australians won two of their three one-day games and won and drew one of their three four-day matches against Pakistan teams composed of experienced first-class players and youngsters on the verge of international selection.

"The Pakistanis provided strong opposition, especially under their conditions," Marsh said. "But we planned it that way. We wanted a short (three-and-a-half weeks), tough tour and we ceratinaly got one. The heat got at our players a bit and there were the inevitable stomach upsets, but our cricket was very positive and there were some good, solid performances. It was such a fantastic learning experience, cricket-wise and life-wise, seeing different conditions and customs.

"The boys fielded like Trojans. The Pakistanis couldn`t believe how well we fielded. Our fielding and our running between wickets were so much better than theirs. But if we wanted to learn something from them, it was the way they went about hitting the ball along the ground against the spinners, whereas our batsmen tended to go over the top a little too much."

Physiotherapist Max Pfitzner was kept busy caring for the 13-man team, captained by Queensland left-hand batsman Matthew Mott, 22. The most serious casualties were WA allrounder Kade Harvey, 20, who had stress fractures in his back, NSW speedster Brett Lee, 18, who hurt his back, and SA medium-fast bowler Jason Gillespie, 20, who was ill. SA left-arm quick Mark Harrity, 21, was rested after touring with Australia A to England earlier this year.

The bowling load fell mainly on Victorian left-arm opener Ian Hewett, 19, NSW`s Matthew Nicholson, 21, Victorian batsman Clinton Peake, 18 - who became a stock left-arm orthodox slow bowler - and SA leggie Arnold, who delivered the most overs. Marsh said Arnold had skin and blood dripping off his fingers, "but just kept going". "He even came off once for the blood rule," Marsh said. "He showed great stamina and great courage."

Previous academy teams have toured South Africa, India and New Zealand, and March is looking at next year`s squad going to South Africa and Zimbabwe.