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Australia up for spin challenge, says Bailey
Visiting teams have often found themselves tied up in tangles by the local tweakers on the sub-continental dustbowls, but Australia captain George Bailey asserted his team is up to the spin challenge in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.
South Asian teams have traditionally built their attack around spin bowlers who often paralysed the leaden-footed visitors on the low, slow tracks of the region.
Bailey acknowledged spin would once again make or break fortune, including that of his team bidding for the only major cricket trophy eluding them.
"Spin plays a huge role in Twenty20 wherever it's played in the world," Bailey told reporters on the eve of Australia's first Super 10 match against a spin-heavy Pakistan side.
"In these conditions it tends to be match-winning. It's a challenge. We know we are going to face a lot of spin, we know we are probably going to bowl a lot of spin."
Australia up for spin challenge, says Bailey
Having lost to arch-rivals India in the group two opener on Friday, 2009 champions Pakistan will be relying heavily on the spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi to put their campaign back on track but Bailey was not worried.
"I think we've seen most of them over a period of years. It's challenging. I guess you just try and talk about it as much you can and reflect on those experiences you had in the past," he said.
"They got three spinners in top 10 at the moment in Twenty20 (rankings). They are a very, very strong spinning side and the conditions can be challenging for us here but we've certainly got a strong batting line up at the moment that hopefully overcomes them."
Australia up for spin challenge, says Bailey
Leading a side teeming with swashbuckling batsmen such as David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and himself, Bailey was not exaggerating.
Bailey said the team was drawing from the experience of the ageless chinaman spinner Brad Hogg who has played in the Bangladesh Premier League.
"Hoggy has been really great for us," the Australia said of the 43-year-old who is set to become the oldest player in Twenty20 Internationals.
"We've got lot of information not only on what we can expect but what the wicket might play, the grounds and how they change from day to night ... should be really handy."
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