Inzamam-ul Haq

London: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq has insisted Australia will be a “lot weaker” after the Test retirements of star bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Leg-spinner Warne, Test cricket’s most successful bowler with 706 wickets, and McGrath, third in the all-time standings with 557 and the leading quick, will both call time on their careers in the five-day format after the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting next week.

The duo, who have each dismissed Inzamam five times apiece in Tests, will be looking to bow out by helping Australia complete the first 5-0 rout in an Ashes series for 85 years.

“Both are great players, great bowlers,” Inzamam told a website. “Without them Australia is definitely going to be a lot weaker and teams will now be much more confident about beating them. Both players always seem to perform when Australia win and it’s no coincidence.

“Everybody in cricket will miss them, but more importantly I think Australia will miss them a great deal because they are big performers and take most of the team’s wickets as we can see from the fact they have over 1,200 Test wickets between them.

“Every batsman will breathe a sigh of relief that they are gone now.”

And Inzamam predicted Australia would struggle without their two champion bowlers. “It’s not good news for Australia as I can remember a couple of occasions when they didn’t play and they found it very tough.

“When India toured there a couple of years back, they (Australia) drew the series and could have lost.

“That showed how much Australia rely on them. And the two matches England won in last year’s Ashes were when McGrath didn’t play. I know my own team will be a lot more confident of beating them now.

“Warne and McGrath are true greats and I could see that from how they took wickets in the subcontinent as well as in Australia and England. Some bowlers are good in their own conditions but cannot be as good in the subcontinent. But these two have proved themselves time and again.”

Australian bowling coach Troy Cooley echoed the same feeling.

“There might be a few little dips when you play younger players without much experience, but I am confident that we can ride it out,” Cooley said.

“You’re never going to get that experience and consistency with new players coming in, compared with a Glenn McGrath. But you can support the younger blokes coming through with good programs. There will obviously be quite a bit of tactical changes with Pidge (McGrath) and the King (Warne) leaving,” he was quoted as saying by an Australian newspaper.

Inzamam is set to lead Pakistan on their Test and one-day series tour of South Africa next month. (Agencies)