Pakistan cricket team to fly England on Saturday

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan cricket team will depart to England on Saturday for a lengthy series comprising four Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20.

Pakistani players will participate in a training camp this month as to get familiar with the English conditions before their first warm-up game against Somerset at Taunton on July 3.

Misbah ul Haq will be leading the national test team in the Test series while Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed will captain the teams in ODIs and Twenty20, respectively.

Talking to APP, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said the board has barred the players to give interviews and have asked them to have limited interaction with the English media unless permitted by the manager.

However, the players have been allowed to take their families on tour till the start of the series. “The players have been allowed to take their families on tour but will have to send them back before the start of the Test series,” he said.

This will be the first assignment for new head coach Mickey Arthur, while it will see the return of Muhammad Amir in England after the infamous spot-fixing scandal in 2010.

He said PCB has also cautioned Amir to be patient and tolerant on the tour of England.

Amir, who has not played Test cricket since his involvement and ban in match fixing during Lord’s Test, would return to Test on July 14 on the same ground.

“Amir is asked to follow each and every instruction in England given to him by the team management, anti corruption unit and security manager.

The official said that Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq is also likely to tour England in the series to monitor players’ performances closely.