Pakistan await Australia after crushing the West Indies

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, February 10: Pakistan have set their sights on defeating world champions Australia in September, captain Waqar Younis said on Sunday after a 2-0 rout of the West Indies.

"This was a satisfying series win, but our real test will come when we meet Australia," Waqar said soon after his team won the second Test by a thumping 244-run margin.

Australia, the world champions of Test cricket who brushed aside nearest challengers South Africa 3-0 recently, are due to tour Pakistan in September for a three-match series.

Waqar, who joined the 350-wicket club during his match-winning 4-44 effort on Sunday, said he wanted to go beyond 400.

"Its a big achievement for me, but I am not finished yet," the 78-Test veteran paceman said. "I look forward to going to 400 and more."

Waqar ended the series with 352 wickets, becoming the third Pakistani after Wasim Akram (414) and Imran Khan (362) to reach the landmark.

"It was a great team effort to win this series, but I am particularly glad that Shoaib Akhtar and Abdur Razzaq bowled so well."

Shoaib, whose bowling action has generated a lot of controversy, led Pakistan to a 170-run win in the first Test with a career-best 5-24 in the second innings.

Razzaq, who supported Shoaib with 4-25 in the first Test, claimed 3-33 on Sunday as a back-up to Waqar.

Pakistani coach Mudassar Nazar emphasised that there was nothing wrong with Shoaib's action.

"He is fine. All the bowlers are under scrutiny and, who knows, it may be Waqar's turn next to be questioned," Mudassar said.

"If the fast bowlers did well in this series, it is because the ball reverse swings in Sharjah more than any other place in the world except Karachi," he said.

West Indian captain Carl Hooper blamed his team's poor fielding for their 23rd defeat in the last 27 overseas Tests.

"It was a disappointing tour, but we would have done much better if we had fielded well," said Hooper of the four dropped catches on the first day of the second Test.

"We had it in us to draw the match, but poor batting and fielding did us in."

Hooper compared the defeat to the 3-0 rout in Sri Lanka last year.

"We started where we finished in Sri Lanka," he said. "There we had to counter (off-spinner) Muttiah Muralitharan, but here there was no bowler of that quality.

"Without Wasim Akram, this is probably one of the weakest Pakistani sides I have played against, but we just did not seem to learn from our mistakes."