Pakistan’s all-format captain, Babar Azam, said that Pakistan will not take Bangladesh lightly in the upcoming Test series. Babar said that Bangladesh might possess a young side but they are a talented bunch and their familiarity with the conditions makes them a formidable side.
Babar added that Pakistan will need to be on top of its game and adjust to the conditions quickly in order to gain an upper hand over Bangladesh.
Babar said that the Pakistan Test team has not had much time to gel together but the good thing is that every player in the Test squad was consistently playing cricket over the past few weeks. He added that the Men in Green will have to change their mindset quickly and will have to adjust to the change in formats.
Pakistan national team players were involved in T20 cricket over the past few months with little to no practice of Test cricket. The likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Hasan Ali were a part of Pakistan’s 2021 T20 World Cup squad before playing the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Prior to the two competitions, the players were a part of Pakistan’s National T20 Cup.
The 27-year old believes that the players will quickly need to get out of the T20 mode and get into the Test mindset as soon as the first ball of the first Test match is bowled.
Babar said that Pakistan’s veteran middle-order batters, Fawad Alam and Azhar Ali, will be the key in the series as they keep the entire dressing room calm.
He added that every player in the team will have to assume responsibility and contribute to the team’s success. Babar said that he is extremely satisfied with the way the Test team has performed recently.
