LAHORE, July (ABC): Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam on Monday said that the national team is well aware of the Sri Lankan conditions.
While talking to media ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, Babar Azam said, “We have prepared hard, we have trained very well.”
Babar revealed that the side practised at special pitches for the spin challenge.
“Spin pitches were specially prepared at the National High-Performance Center (NHPC) while practice matches were also played on similar kinds of tracks in Rawalpindi,” he added.
Generally, fast bowlers have less role than spinners, but Babar is confident in his pace department to pose a threat to Sri Lankan batters.
Babar said, “If the fast bowlers get less wickets in the match between Australia and Sri Lanka, it does not mean that our pacers cannot succeed either. Pakistan s pace battery has enough capacity to pressure the Islanders.”
Babar’s side converged in Islamabad on June 25 to finalise their preparations for the Test series at the Pindi Cricket Stadium with a seven-day camp that ended on July 2.
The national cricket team will be departing for Sri Lanka on July 6. While Pakistan will play a three-day warm-up match between July 11-13. The first Test will be played at Galle from July 16, while the second Test will be staged at Colombo from July 24.
Spin specialist Yasir Shah has made a comeback in the team as he was instrumental in Pakistan’s 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka on their last tour of the island in 2015, snaring 24 wickets at 19.33. He comes back into the side after regaining full fitness.
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah