All you need to know: Pakistan v Australia

How to watch

All matches during the tour will be broadcast live in Australia on Fox Cricket, with three T20s to the follow two Tests. Each day of the Test matches will begin at 5pm AEDT.

The Cricket Network - cricket.com.au, the CA Live app and associated social media platforms - will be your home for highlights, live scores, global radio coverage, breaking news and reports from every day of the series with a team of journalists and videographers on the ground, bringing fans closer to the action on match and training days than anywhere else.

Global radio stream

No Foxtel subscription? No worries, cricket.com.au and the CA Live app will have a free radio stream from the ground for both Tests of the Qantas Tour of the UAE, available worldwide. 

Tune in to the radio stream right here

The fixtures

Oct 7-11: First Test, Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Oct 16-20: Second Test, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

The squads

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed(c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez

Australia: Tim Paine(c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matt Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

The team news

Australia will field three debutants, with Tim Paine confirming on Saturday that Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne will be part of the playing XI, while Queensland quick Michael Neser will need to wait after being edged out by veteran Peter Siddle as the second fast bowler. The absence of Matthew Renshaw will also lead to a shake-up of the batting order, with Usman Khawaja to partner Finch at the top.

Australia: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (c & wk), Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland

Pakistan have named their XII for the first Test, with one decision left to be made between pacemen Mir Hamza and Wahab Riaz. Leg-spinning allrounder Shadab Khan has been ruled out through injury, but the hosts will still field a spin-heavy attack with veteran allrounder Mohammad Hafeez handed a recall. He'll join leggie Yasir Shah and debutant off-spinner Bilal Asif in the Pakistan XI.

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz/Mir Hamza

Labo-who? 

With Queenslander Marnus Labuschange bolting into the Test XI, there's never been a better time to answer the question every cricket fan needs to know the answer to: How do you pronounce that surname? 

How has Australia's preparation been?

The Aussies had a solid hit-out against Pakistan A in their only warm-up match last week, even though the four-day game ended in a draw. Mitch Marsh was the star with the bat with a superb 162, while Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh and Travis Head all made half-centuries. The bowlers also fined tuned for the first Test, with Nathan Lyon claiming nine wickets for the match and fellow spinner Jon Holland grabbing six.

What to make of Pakistan?

The days of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq are over, but Pakistan still have plenty of talent at their disposal. Azhar Ali has scored 14 Test centuries and has an excellent record against Australia, averaging just under 70. Paceman Mohammad Abbas has been a revelation since making his debut last year and will lead the attack, but expect spinners Yasir Shah and new boy Bilal Asif to play a key role as the series progresses.

The key players

Azhar Ali loves batting against Australia and all the Aussie players know his wicket is the one they want the most. If Azhar manages to survive the new ball at the start of the Pakistan innings, he is capable of batting for a very long time, as shown by his unbeaten 302 against the West Indies in Dubai two years ago.

For Australia, Nathan Lyon looms as the key man with the veteran off-spinner likely to bowl for long periods alongside fellow tweaker Jon Holland. Lyon picked up an eight-wicket haul in Australia's warm-up match and his form on last year's tours of India and Bangladesh proves he's mastered how to bowl on the dusty surfaces of Asia.

The last time they met

Pakistan toured Australia in the summer of 2016-17 and it was the hosts that dominated with a 3-0 series sweep. Azhar Ali's 205 not out in Melbourne was arguably the highlight for Pakistan during that series, while Wahab Riaz showed some good signs with 11 wickets. Steve Smith (441 runs) and David Warner (356) fired for Australia in that series while Josh Hazlewood (15 wickets) terrorised the Pakistan batsmen - although all three players will miss this series.

The form guide

Both sides have been playing limited overs cricket of late, with Australia's most recent Test match finishing in early April and Pakistan's last five-day game coming at the start of June. Australia's last Test series was the infamous tour of South Africa that ended 3-1 in favour of the Proteas, while Pakistan were able to draw their most recent series in England 1-all.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have a superb record in Tests in the UAE, having won six of the 10 series they have played there since 2010, with three draws. Their only defeat, however, was their most recent series, against Sri Lanka last year. Australia have played 24 Tests in Asia since 2008, and have lost 16 of them, with only three wins and five draws.

Qantas Tour of the UAE

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

Pakistan Test squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez

Tour match v Pak A:Match drawn

Oct 7-11:First Test, Dubai

Oct 16-20:Second Test, Abu Dhabi