28 Aug 2012

Australia want to improve away form

6:35 am on 28 August 2012

Australia head into their one-day international cricket series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates with captain Michael Clarke looking for his side to improve their consistency away from home.

Australia have had a mixed time of it on their travels in recent times, drawing 2-2 in the West Indies before losing 4-0 in England last month.

Now Clarke is looking for a better return in their three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which precedes two Twenty20 internationals against the same opponents ahead of next month's ICC World T20 championship.

Clarke, whose team warmed up for Tuesday's opening ODI in Sharjah with a 66-run over Afghanistan on Saturday, says their goal as a team is to make sure they're playing as well as they are at home, away.

Like Australia, Pakistan have also had some mixed ODI results this year.

They also lost 4-0 to England in the UAE in February, then won the Asia Cup, but suffered a 3-1 series loss to Sri Lanka in June.

Pakistan, who have not had an ODI series win over Australia since 2002, have rested key paceman Umar Gul for the matches, and they are hoping the spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi can do much of the damage.