"What defines you as a player is the away series" - Travis Head looking forward to Pakistan Test tour
Australia's middle-order batter Travis Head believes the upcoming Pakistan tour will define him as a Test cricketer. The southpaw also admitted that the tourists dive into the unknown regarding the conditions in Pakistan.
Head enjoyed a breakthrough Ashes rubber at home against England, earning the player of the series award for his exploits with the bat. Marking his comeback into the Test side, he scored 357 runs in five Tests at 59.50 with two centuries. The South Australian started the series with a breezy 152 in Brisbane.
Travis Head is Player of the Series, winning the Compton/Miller Medal.
#Ashes https://t.co/xvWjRnU0Yz
Head cited fellow teammate Steve Smith's record in India, saying that a player stands out from his performances outside home conditions. The 28-year-old understands the hostile environment visiting teams face; however, he thinks it's an opportunity to thrive.
"I think what defines you as a player, the away series. You look at Smithy's record in India, when he goes away to India and plays on those wickets it takes him to a different level. On the flipside, you can't chase that, you can't change yourself, you can't try and be someone that you're not. But definitely going away ... how tough I found it in an Ashes away - different environments, different crowds, different conditions. It's definitely challenging and you definitely get tested and I think that is where you can take your game to a different level," Head stated, as quoted by Perth Now.
While Head averages 49.87 from 17 Tests with four centuries in Australia, his record is mediocre in away Tests. It drops to 28.45 in the last six Tests with no centuries. However, it was also in the sub-continent that he made his Test debut and will be looking to raise his game.
"It's hard to really know what we're going to come up against" - Travis Head
The 28-year-old acknowledged that Australia have little time to get the know-how of the conditions in Pakistan. However, they are fine with the security arrangements. In this regard, the South Australian added:
"It's hard to really know what we're going to come up against or what the conditions are going to be. The communication has been good on what we're expecting once we get there. We're in pretty safe hands. I am not sure how public it's going to be, on what the protocols are for us. But in terms of communication and how we're going to feel over there or the protocols that we're under to keep us safe ... I don't think there is any of those concerns and what they're putting in place for us is sound."
Our 18-player Test squad for the Qantas tour of Pakistan! 🔒
The Test playing contingent and staff are due to depart for Pakistan later this month while white ball players, to be announced separately, will join mid-tour for the ODI and T20I matches. https://t.co/7RM0HwKygq
Australia's first tour of Pakistan since 1998 starts with the first of the three Tests on the 4th of March in Rawalpindi. Karachi and Lahore will host the remaining two Tests.