Australia’s new cricket lineup will be on show and under pressure as the team takes on Pakistan in a two-Test series kicking off on Sunday in the UAE.

The task of cleaning up the battered image of Australian cricket after the ball-tampering saga starts with a new coach, a string of fresh faces and a refined culture. It is the brave transformation period of Australian cricket.

It will be the first Test campaign under the stewardship of coach Justin Langer and the first since the catastrophic tour of South Africa that saw captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner banned for 12 months for their roles in the ball-tampering fiasco.

Former Australian opener Langer will know that it is simply not about tidying up the image. It is also about winning a Test series in the Sub-continent, an accomplishment last achieved in 2011.

According to former Australia captain Kim Hughes, the Test series “is certainly a start of a new era and a few debutants” but also one that is sure to be given a tough examination.

“It is never going to be easy on the Subcontinent, regardless of if we have the best team available or not. But Australian cricket has always been resilient, and it is a great opportunity for the guys that get that first chance,” Hughes told The New Daily.

“Pakistan will be hard to beat. I would think drawing the series will be a good effort, because it will be tough over there.”

Travis Head hits out during the Australia v Pakistan A tour match on October 1. Photo: Getty

Travis Head and Aaron Finch will make their debuts while Marnus Labuschagne also has a strong chance of receiving a baggy green. Matthew Renshaw is also in the mix and Hughes believes the left-handed opener is a genuine long-term option.

“I’m a big fan of Renshaw’s temperament. He is a type of player that once he gets established, he is bound to be in the team for 10 years or more.

“He has the appetite for big scores. He is just the perfect man for Test cricket,” said Hughes.

The former captain called the series against Pakistan “a great learning curve. We have some outstanding young players and there is no doubt it will only help them become better players when India come to our shores later this summer.”

With the ball, a lot will depend on Nathan Lyon. The off-spinner is the most experienced member of the squad and also the leading wicket-taker with 306 Test scalps.

Nathan Lyon with a fan during an October 5 team visit to a UAE labour camp. Photo: Getty

Pakistan, on the other hand, is also going through a transition phase. They have an influx of young batsmen including Imam-ul-Haq, the nephew of former national captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

“In terms of bowling, he [Yasir] will be the key. The pitches in the UAE are generally good for batting early on, but they do take spin as the match goes on and the rough plays a role too,” Hughes said.

“If you win the toss you should not lose the game … You bat first, get the best of the conditions and then your spinners are in the game.”

Pakistan has an impressive record on the dry, spin-friendly pitches of the UAE. They have only lost one series since relocating to the Emirates nation in 2009.

It promises to be a tough task for the next crop of the Australian cricketers, but it also presents them a unique chance of beginning a new chapter in Australian cricket.

First Test – October 7 to 11 in Dubai.

Second Test – October 6 to 20 in Abu Dhabi