There's plenty of hype about South Africa's bowling attack but Australia captain Ricky Ponting is unconvinced, saying they are "unproven in Australia".
Ponting warmed-up for today's first cricket Test at the WACA by saying South Africa's pace-bowling sensations Dale Steyn (25) and Morne Morkel (24) needed to make names for themselves on the toughest tour on the circuit before they could be ranked alongside the great West Indies attacks of the 1980s.
"Morkel is still very young at Test cricket," Ponting told reporters on Tuesday.
"Steyn has played 27 Tests. That's relatively young as well.
"They have still got a little bit to prove yet before they are recognised as one of the great attacks that has ever played.
"We'll have a better idea at the end of the three Tests here and we'll see how they perform when our batsmen get in and get going.
"There has been a lot said about their bowlers.
"As yet they are unproven in Australia. Steyn has had a great year (60 Test wickets).
"But you've got to do it here when it counts in the big moments of Test matches.
"There's no doubt that some of that pressure will come back on them and if they have been reading the papers over the last week and a half then I'm sure they'll be thinking about the same thing."
Australia have opted against an all-pace attack despite Ponting expecting the bouncy WACA pitch will favour the quicks on the first two days of play.
Jason Krejza returns to the side after the Tasmanian off-spinner missed last month's second Test against New Zealand in Adelaide with an ankle injury.
Queensland pace-bowling all-rounder Shane Watson was named 12th man, leaving Australia with an inexperienced attack led by 74-game player Brett Lee and backed up by left-armer Mitchell Johnson, Victorian quick Peter Siddle and Krejza, who have played a combined 17 Tests.
Ponting said he had asked Lee, 32, for a special effort as the pace spearhead to lift against the No.2-ranked Proteas. Lee's regular new-ball partner Stuart Clark will miss the series because of an elbow surgery.
The skipper is confident Australia's previous victories over South Africa, including 2-0 at home and 3-0 away in the 2005-06 Test series', will count for something.
"A lot of those guys in the South African side have played a lot of cricket against us and would be carrying some of the scars from previous series," Ponting said.
"It's up to us to make sure that we start the series well enough or the game well enough on Wednesday to re-open some of those scars again.
"So all their batsmen will be aware that their records against us probably aren't as good as they are against some of the other countries.
"That's something that may be weighing on their minds.
"We have had the wood over them for a long time in both forms of the game and particularly probably in bigger moments in series, whether it be World Cup semi-finals or big Test series."
Ponting admitted Steyn and the 2.01-metre Morkel were bowling as quickly as anyone in world cricket at the moment.
