Pakistanis arrive tomorrow

Pakistan cricket team is due to arrive in Colombo in the early hours of tomorrow on a seven-week tour of Sri Lanka which includes three Tests, five One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.

The forthcoming tour will be an equally important series for both the teams. While Pakistan will make every effort to capitalise on their last success in the UAE, Sri Lanka will go flat out to maintain its superior home record.

Pakistan made a clean sweep, beating Sri Lanka in Tests (1-0), ODIs (4-1) and T20 match when the two teams last met in UAE last year. Pakistan also beat Sri Lanka in their Asia Cup qualifying round meeting in Dhaka last March. However, Sri Lanka won both the Test (2-0) and ODI (3-2) series when Pakistan last toured Sri Lanka.

All-rounder Jeevan Mendis, along with quick bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Pradeep have been recalled to Sri Lanka’s One Day International side for their forthcoming five-match ODI home series against Pakistan starting on June 7. Sri Lanka’s surprise omission for the last Asia Cup, Rangana Herath too has earned a place in the ODI squad while all-rounder Farveez Maharoof who failed to justify his recall to the national team for the last Asia Cup has been dropped.

Left-arm paceman Isuru Udana and leg spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi who have been in wilderness for a few years, have been included in the Sri Lanka squad for the two Twenty20 Internationals to be played this Friday (1) and Sunday (3) at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Sooriyawewa.

The two T20 Internationals at Sooriyawewa and the five ODIs at Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy and Premadasa Stadium, Colombo will be day-night games. The last leg of the series will comprise three Tests to be played at Galle International Stadium, SSC Grounds and Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy commencing from June 22.

Pakistan's Test and ODI captain, Misbah-ul-Haq has said that his team's recent record against Sri Lanka gives them the edge. "Sri Lanka is always a difficult team to play against, especially in their back yard," Misbah was quoted as saying.

Misbah said Pakistan's improvements on the fielding and fitness fronts would help them this time around. "I think we have shown a lot of improvement in fielding and fitness in last couple of years," he said. "Every coach in the past, whether it was Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed, everyone did a good job (with those disciplines) and now Julien (Fountain, the fielding coach) is doing a great job."

Meanwhile, Pakistan head coach, Dav Whatmore has said that his team will be sternly tested during their tour of Sri Lanka. With temperatures in Lahore touching 40C, where they completed a two-week intensive training camp, Whatmore said he hoped his players would find it easy to acclimatise themselves to similar conditions in Sri Lanka. "It's pretty warm out here as well but it will be easy for us to acclimatise to conditions in Sri Lanka," Whatmore was quoted as saying.

"Some of the bowlers and batsmen have been working out in the heat to ensure we are prepared. I think we have to prepare properly for a series against a strong opposition," he said.

Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan announced their separate teams for each format for the upcoming series. Whatmore said he was satisfied with the selection process. "I am happy to see that players are being selected based on their suitability to a format. As far as leadership is concerned, it's not up to me and I will support what the PCB decides," he said.

He also backed the inexperienced players selected for the tour. "There are one or two changes in the squad and that's a good thing as by keeping exactly the same squad we would be marching on the same spot, but we must move forward all the time."