Aussies unfazed by UAE weather

Updated August 23, 2012 08:49:21

Australia's acting coach Steve Rixon expects his players will adjust to the hot conditions in United Arab Emirates during their matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Australia's squad arrived in Dubai on Wednesday with the temperature as high as 43 degrees Celsius, but Rixon hopes sleeping late and breakfast at noon will help during the series, in which one-day matches will start as late as 6:00pm.

Australia takes on Afghanistan in the first-ever one-day international between the two countries in Sharjah on Saturday, before facing Pakistan in three one-day matches and as many Twenty20 fixtures.

The pre-series hype focused on how Australia will cope up with the high temperatures but Rixon says a policy has been devised to combat the oppressive weather.

"Our guys will have to eat late in night and just start the pattern," he said.

"We need to start the patterns now so by the time the first game comes around, we'll be starting to build some sort of body clock that's going to work for us."

Rixon, a former Australia Test wicket-keeper, is standing in for head coach Mickey Arthur, who will join the tour later as he has been working on preparations for next month's World Twenty20.

Rixon says the team has prepared to combat heat.

"The weather was very warm up in Darwin where we camped but nothing as oppressive as over here," he said.

"We're well aware of how hot it's going to be. If we sit here and talk about the weather all day, we're not getting the job done."

Rixon says the matches in United Arab Emirates will help the team tune up for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

"Whatever happens here will be a very big stepping stone to us being successful in Sri Lanka," said Rixon of Australia, who slipped to fourth on the one-day rankings for the first time in three years.

Rixon says players are now accustomed to playing in heat.

"I think a lot of players in the modern day games playing a lot more in the sub-continent with IPL (Indian Premier League) and other forms of cricket played in the sub-continent in place like Chennai where it is very warm," he said.

Pakistan and Australia will play the first one-day match in Sharjah on August 28 followed by second in Abu Dhabi (August 31) and Sharjah (September 3).

All three Twenty 20 matches will be played in Dubai on September 5, 7 and 10.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, united-arab-emirates

First posted August 23, 2012 08:39:59

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Hussey unfazed by external opinions

Updated December 20, 2011 06:56:09

Veteran batsman Mike Hussey insists he remains confident of turning his form around after shutting himself away from criticism following the Test defeat in Hobart.

Hussey, who just three months ago cracked 463 runs at an average of 92.6 against Sri Lanka, is now battling to hold his Test spot after posting just 83 runs at 11.86 in recent series against South Africa and New Zealand.

The 36-year-old's lean trot continued on Sunday night when he made a duck in Perth Scorchers' 31-run Twenty20 loss to Hobart Hurricanes.

But Hussey believed his lack of recent runs was more a case of bad luck rather than bad form and hopes to prove the doubters wrong in the series against India.

"I haven't really taken much notice of the external stuff at all to be honest," he said.

"I haven't really read a newspaper, haven't really turned the TV on since we lost the Test match down in Hobart.

"I pretty much just tried to get away from it for a week, or for a few days anyway.

"I still feel like I'm in a good frame of mind. I still feel like I'm hitting the ball well in the nets.

"But that's the way batting goes. You're going to get times when things go well for you and you've got to cash in, like what I was able to do over in Sri Lanka.

"And then there's going to be times when things don't quite go your way and unfortunately the last few innings that's what it's been like for me."

Hussey said fellow batsman Shaun Marsh, who injured his back last month, would take part in this week's three-day batting camp in Melbourne in a bid to prove his fitness for the Boxing Day Test.

Meanwhile, Tasmanian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus has not given up hope of returning to the Test arena despite the emergence of future stars James Pattinson and Pat Cummins.

Hilfenhaus, who snared 2 for 10 off four overs in the Hurricanes' Twenty20 win, has not played a Test since featuring in Australia's losing Ashes cause in January.

But after working on several technical issues over the winter and building up his fitness, the 28-year-old has returned to form with 20 Sheffield Shield wickets at 28.6 this season.

"Last year I had a problem with the tendonitis in my leg and it sort of changed my action a bit," Hilfenhaus said.

"It made me bowl around myself so the ball was swinging early.

"Batters find it a lot easier to play if the ball swings out of the hand rather than swinging late, so we identified that and worked on those things.

"I've just got to do the best I can and hopefully that's enough at some stage to get recognised at the higher level again."

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted December 20, 2011 06:56:09

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