Cricket Australia to assess Mitch Marsh

Cricket Australia will assess the fitness of Mitch Marsh after the allrounder suffered hamstring tightness in the Champions Trophy T20 event in India.

Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh

Cricket Australia will assess the fitness of Mitch Marsh ahead of the Test series against Pakistan. (AAP)

Australia coach Darren Lehmann is crossing his fingers allrounder Mitch Marsh hasn't joined the list of injury concerns in his Test squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan.

Test skipper Michael Clarke has arrived in Dubai to continue his recovery from a hamstring injury and is determined to prove his fitness for the two-Test series starting on October 22.

Pace spearhead Mitch Johnson is nursing a rib complaint but Lehmann is confident the left-armer will be ready for the Test series.

Marsh, who appears set to make his Test debut following Shane Watson's withdrawal from the series with a calf problem, left the field at one stage on Tuesday with hamstring tightness during the Perth Scorchers' final game of their Champions League Twenty20 campaign.

Marsh hit 63 not out and claimed two wickets in the match in Bangalore, India. Lehmann said on Wednesday he'd spoken briefly with the 22-year-old.

"He's been exciting hasn't he?," Lehmann said.

"I just had a quick hello.

"I've got to catch him when we get back to the hotel and see how he's going.

"He's just arrived so from our point of view, see how he's going and I'll let you know more once we know.

"We want to give him as much game time as possible because we know he has a really bright future."

Australia face Pakistan in a one-off T20 clash in Dubai on Monday morning (AEDT) followed by three one-day games.

Lehmann is also predicting a bright future for the Pakistan side despite the absence of star offspinner Saeed Ajmal due to a chucking ban.

Ajmal is the No.1-ranked bowler in ODI cricket and is No.10 in Tests as well as being the highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals.

"We have studied their side but history shows they always manage to pull some very good players from somewhere, young players, so they have got some exciting talent," Lehmann said.

Leggie Saad Nasim and slow left-armer Raza Hasan are part of Pakistan's T20 squad.

"We know it's a tough opposition and they play very well here," Lehmann said.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi says in Ajmal's absence, he and fellow spinner Mohammad Hafeez will take on extra responsibilities with the ball in a bid to "fill his void", AFP reports.


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