The one-day series between Pakistan and Australia is starting from Tuesday. The ODI series is part of the World Cup preparation for both teams.

Interestingly, the Australia selection committee rested key players David Warner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Starc and Glenn Maxwell due to a packed schedule -- they are players who play all formats -- Tests, Twenty20s and ODIs.

But Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head will remain here to play the series.

But just before starting the ODI series, 31-year-old Australian pacer Kane Richardson was ruled out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury in Melbourne. Left-armer Ben Dwarshuis will replace Richardson.

In the absence of the above-mentioned frontline fast bowlers, Australian bowling does not look threatening for the Greenshirts.

The ODI series will be the fourth time in the past five years that Australia will embark on a one-day campaign without at least one of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins in their squad.

Jason Behrendorff has played only 11 ODIs while Sean Abbott has played only two matches for Australia. Nathan Ellis and Dwarshuis will make their debut if they get a chance in the series.

Despite the absence of Aussies experienced fast bowling attack, the ODI series will not be easy for Pakistan. Australia have a strong and experienced batting line up that can create problems for Pakistani bowlers.

Criticism over the preparation of pitches in Pakistan for the Test series against Australia has come not only from Australia but from within Pakistan's own cricket circles.

We can be happy by drawing the series against Australia, but what benefit will the Green-shirts get? People wanted to see a balanced battle between bowlers and the batsmen of both teams.

What can the bowlers do on a pitch that produces over a thousand runs in five days and only 14 wickets?

After the pitch of the first Test in Rawalpindi which turned out to be a dull draw was criticised for being a concrete hard top with not a sliver of grass on it, the Karachi Test pitch was only a little different.

In Australia and New Zealand normally pitches support fast bowlers while India and Bangladesh make spin tracks to win. But Pakistan may be the only team which does not get pitches which suit it.

In the past, despite the presence of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, the decision makers of Pakistan never prepared grassy tracks even against weak opponents.

There is a huge gap between the standard of pitches in Pakistan and in Australia.

The slow dead pitches have been criticised by the critics and the former players. Such batting paradises kept spectators away from stadiums though it was a high-profile series as the Australia cricket team toured Pakistan after around 24 years.

Before this ODI series, 104 matches were played between Pakistan and Australia. Aussies have a clear edge with 68 wins. The Green-shirts remained successful on 32 occasions.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is the most successful batsman with 1107 runs in 35 ODIs, including one hundred and eight fifties, with the average of 36.90.

For Pakistan Javed Miandad is the highest run-getter with 1019 runs, also in 35 matches, averaging 33.96. Muhammad Yousuf is just behind him with 1016 runs in 29 ODIs at an average of 37.62.

Wasim Akram is the most successful bowler with 67 wickets in 49 matches at an average of 27.43. Glenn McGrath took 57 wickets in 32 ODIs for Australia, averaging just 19.10.

As spinner, Shahid Afridi has taken most 49 wickets in 43 ODIs against Australia.

Australia's 369-7 at Adelaide on 26th January, 2017, is the highest innings score. Pakistan scored their best total 315-8 in Lahore way back on November 10, 1998.

Pakistan bowled out for 108 in Nairobi on August 3, 2002, is the lowest innings completed total. Australia's 120 in Hobart on January 7, 1997, is the lowest innings total.

Ponting won 16 ODIs against Pakistan in 21 appearances as captain, while in the same number of matches Imran Khan remained successful on eight occasions.

Wasim Akram is the most capped player for Pakistan against Australia with 49 matches while former skipper Steve Waugh played 43 ODIs against the Greenshirts.

Pakistan should take advantage of the absence of Australian senior bowlers. If Pakistan young guns beat Australia in the series, it will boost their confidence for the upcoming World Cup.

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