Gul wants pacers to build stamina for Australia Tests

RAWALPINDI: Fast bowling coach Umar Gul has focused his energies on preparing Pakistan team members for the Australian pitches, saying that every member of the team will have to give his hundred percent to match the powerful Aussies team.

Talking to media on the opening day of the national training set up at the Pindi Stadium, Umar said that four training pitches have been established in order to prepare the outfit according to the requirements. “All pitches have been laid keeping in mind the requirements of Australian conditions,” he said.

The newly appointed fast bowling coach said that every bowler should be ready for a big workload. “I want to prepare bowlers who have the required stamina to bowl at least 15 overs a day in Australia. That is the requirement when you play Test cricket. Improving bowlers’ stamina is one thing in mind. What we want is to train all according to the expected conditions in Australia.”

Umar admitted that Naseem Shah’s absence would be felt. “ He is like my younger brother. Naseem would have been of great benefit in Australia. But the good thing is he is gaining fitness by each passing day which is good news for Pakistan.”

Umar hoped that the four-day game prior to the start of the Test series would help the team gain required experience of playing conditions.

On Shaheen Shah’s form and quality, he said that the bowler would come out good during the coming series. “He is an experienced campaigner and knows well how to gain form to help out the team in Australia.”

PCB calls three more pacers to national training camp The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has bolstered the strength of the national team training camp on Thursday with an addition of three pacers.

The camp training of the Pakistan cricket team began at the Pindi Cricket Stadium for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia starting on December 14. The pace bowling department of the camp has been strengthened with the addition of three new pacers—Sameen Gul, Ali Shafique, and Muhammad Ali.

Chief Selector Wahab Riaz had earlier revealed the inclusion of seven extra players in the training camp: Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir, and Usman Qadir.

But Dahani has been declared unfit to bowl, leading the PCB to send him to the National Cricket Academy for rehabilitation, with hopes for a swift recovery.

Pakistan made a bright start in the current World Test Championship where they are on top of the table with 24 points (100% point percentage) after their 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka in July. Newly-crowned ODI World Cup Champions Australia are third in the standings with a point percentage of 30 after the drawn Ashes series.

Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.