Pakistan Cricket Team Gear Up for Sri Lanka Test Series

The Pakistan cricket team has kicked off their training camp on July 04 in Karachi, as they prepare for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to take place later this month. This series holds significant importance for Pakistan as it marks their first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

According to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Test squad will undergo rigorous training at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi from July 4 to July 7. Subsequently, they will depart for Sri Lanka on July 8 to continue their preparations.

The training camp currently consists of 16 players, including the team’s captain, Babar Azam, the fast bowler Naseem Shah, and the wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed. Joining the camp shortly will be Hasan Ali and Shan Masood. In addition, although not part of the Test squad, spinner Zahid Mahmood and Sajid Ali have also been invited to participate in the camp.

Initially, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was unable to attend the first session of the camp due to personal reasons. However, he later joined the camp on the same day.

The camp is being overseen by the head coach, Grant Bradburn, while the batting coach, Andrew Puttick, is providing full attention to the batters during practice. Fielding coach Aftab Khan is supervising the players’ catching practice.

On July 6, the players will be granted permission to briefly leave the camp to attend Haris Rauf’s wedding in Islamabad. They will then reconvene in Karachi and depart for Sri Lanka, with a brief layover in Dubai, on the same day.

The Test squad comprises the following players: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood.

Here is the itinerary for the tour:

July 9: Arrival of the Pakistan team in Colombo.

July 11-12: Warm-up game.

July 16-20: First Test at Galle International Cricket Stadium.

July 24-28: Second Test at Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo.