There is only one way to stop Smith: Misbah

Pakistan head coach-cum-chief selector Misbahul Haq was wary of prolific Australia batsman Steve Smith, after the Men in Green touched down in Sydney ahead of the T20I and Test series.

Smith completed his return from the wilderness when Australia recalled them to a 14-man Twenty20 squad to play Sri Lanka and Pakistan with a firm eye on next year's World Cup.

The star batsman was banned for a year for his role in a ball-tampering scandal, in South Africa, but has returned to Australia's Test, one-day and now Twenty20 sides.

“The way he [Smith] is batting at the moment, he is at the top of his game and his confidence level is very high and the only thing we can do is get him out and that’s what we are trying to figure out,” said Misbah while talking to media on Monday.

The former Australia captain enjoyed a remarkable Ashes series in England, scoring a total of 774 runs in just seven innings and played a pivotal role in his side's two victories in the drawn series.

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Smith averages 64.56 after 68 Tests, second only to the great Sir Donald Bradman in the all-time list.

Misbah was also hoping that his young team can spring a surprise in tough Australia conditions.

“Obviously it’s always good to be in Australia because you enjoy cricket here but it’s a challenge for whichever team that comes to Australia,” he said. “This is a young team and I’m looking forward to a very good series. The kind of talent we have and if we can be disciplined in all departments then we can produce good results.”

The 45-year-old also spoke about the difference in approach towards, both, batting and bowling when playing in Australia.   

“The conditions here are totally different compared to other parts of the world and you need to adjust to pace and bounce as batting unit and also when you are bowling,” he said. “In Asian conditions your biggest strength are your spinners but you have to bowl slightly different here, even the lengths and lines are different for the pacers to bowl well here.”

Pakistan will play three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), followed by a two-match Test series, in Australia, with the first T20I match due to be played in Sydney on November 3.