The first Test against Sri Lanka in UAE shall mark a new beginning for Pakistan. For a side that was reliant so heavily on two batting stalwarts in Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq, the series against Sri Lanka will make for a thrilling affair. The two legends bid adieu to the game in the Caribbean earlier this year, and their exit shall be a fine opportunity for the younger batsmen to prove their mettle.
The likes of Babar Azam and Haris Sohail are incredibly talented and undoubtedly possess the ability to replicate the success garnered by the two veterans. According to coach Mickey Arthur, the younger lot in Pakistan indeed has the needed skills to excel in the highest form of the game.
Ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka, Arthur was full of confidence when he addressed the press.
“Things are shaping up well, and this is a real challenge for us. We had a good chat with the boys this morning. The challenge is there, and it’s a new chapter, a new dawn for our Test team,” Arthur said.
Speaking about comparing veterans like Younis Khan with someone as raw as Babar Azam, Arthur said:
“Of course it will be very unfair to the guys you bring into the team to say they are the replacements. I think it is now on people like Azhar Ali, who has been superb for us last year in the Tests. Asad Shafiq, and to a lesser extent Babar Azam – it is incumbent on those three guys standing up taking the bulk of the runs now. The other guys are young and inexperienced and are where Azam was a year ago and Shafiq a couple of years ago. Every series we go into we want to win, as we are judged on that.”
“It is a new dawn for us as we are going to see some fresh and young faces. I think that is very exciting in taking the team forward,” said Arthur with an air of confidence.