Former captain Mohammad Yousuf believes that Pakistani batsmen will have a tough time during the upcoming England tour since they have played only in friendly conditions in the UAE in the last few years.
According to Indian Express, “What worries me is that Pakistan’s Test cricket has mainly been restricted to the UAE for the last few years and in England they have a lot at stake to guard their excellent Test record,” Yousuf said.
The 41-year old said the conditions in UAE and England are totally different and the Pakistani batsmen would be severely tested in English conditions against an in-form English bowling attack. “It is going to be a tough tour for us and our first priority should be to ensure we don’t fold up like Sri Lanka has done in England,” he said.
Yousuf said that Pakistan had the advantage of having more experienced batsmen and more potent bowlers. “I think Pakistan should do better than Sri Lanka. Because Younis, Misbah, Azhar and Asad Shafiq all have plenty of experience but the key will be how quickly they adjust to the English conditions and pitches,” he said.
“The 2010 tour I think was our worst in England in many years and this team will be challenged to ensure they perform better and the tour is not a repetition of 2010,” he added.
“If Pakistan does well in England it would have shown everyone that it is a top test side,” Yousuf added.
The team is likely to leave for the tour on June 18 and hold a training camp in Hampshire before their first match against Somerset starting on July 5 and another against Sussex from July 8. As per reports, the chief selector Inzamam also expressed hope that the team would perform well and produce good results.
Pakistan will face England in four Tests, five ODIs and one T20 match in the tour which kicks off with the first Test on July 14.
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