Marsh injury completes black day

AUSTRALIA'S first-choice opener in limited-overs cricket, Shaun Marsh, is out of the series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates after re-injuring his left hamstring.

In his first match back since badly tearing his hamstring against New Zealand in Perth on February 1, Marsh lasted only four overs on Wednesday before hurting the leg muscle again while running a short single.

He continued to bat with the assistance of a runner but was run out shortly afterwards for 16.

The injury places Marsh, the top run-scorer in the first season of the Indian Premier League, in doubt for the ICC World Twenty20, which begins in England in June, as the team must be picked before the end of the series against Pakistan.

Scans at a Dubai hospital yesterday morning confirmed the injury, but Cricket Australia officials were unable to comment on the severity of the injury.

Marsh's place in the squad will be filled by West Australian all-rounder Marcus North, who was playing his first game for Hampshire in England when called up. He will be available for the third tour match in Dubai on Monday.

Meanwhile, the day before Australia played Pakistan in the first of five one-day internationals, Australian captain Michael Clarke admitted to not knowing much about his opponents. What he did know was that they had three very good pacemen.

Clarke and a somewhat stunned Australian side now have a much clearer picture of three things: how little they know of the quality of the Pakistani spinners; how much they've got to learn; and how little time they have to do it.

Batting first on the new cricket ground in Dubai, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson saw off the quicks and appeared to be settled in before the introduction of spin turned the game on its head, handing victory to Pakistan in a dozen thrilling overs.

Experienced leg-spinner Shahid Afridi and newcomer Saeed Ajmal, with an exotic collection of doosra variations, bowled in a language unintelligible to the Australians, who were reduced to staring at pitch and bowler with bemused and befuddled looks on their faces.

Unable to pick either spinner, they stuck the bat out and hoped. All too quickly the Australian innings slid from strength into a very large hole, losing 8-27 to be bowled out for 168 in the 39th over.

Pakistan was untroubled, securing victory despite the loss of six wickets.

The spinners were like snake charmers, making the ball hiss and spit, and the bad news for Australia is that the wicket, to be used again tonight, will only turn more sharply.

Afridi claimed career-best figures of 6-38 — also the best figures by a Pakistani against Australia — while Ajmal snared 2-19. More bad news is that Shoaib Malik bowled only one over at the death. Tonight Australia may well face 30 overs of spin, with Pakistan convinced it is the Australians' major weakness.

"Australians always struggle against off-spin and today showed that," said captain Younus Khan, who confirmed that the plan to use Ajmal as Pakistan's shock bowler had been some time in the hatching.

"Australia are very professional and they will go hard at Ajmal when they play us again, but we have some little plans for that too."

Australian coach Tim Nielsen agreed that finding a way to handle the spinners, particularly Ajmal who was playing only his sixth one-day international, held the key to the five-match series.

The challenge is significant and immediate — to think through the problem, study the video, "get a bit of practice, come up with a clear plan and, most importantly, have the courage to go out there and play that way", he said. LINK...