ISLAMABAD
\nPakistan Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed gratitude and optimism ahead of Pakistan\u2019s upcoming cricket engagements, emphasizing team unity and the importance of learning from past performances.
\nSpeaking at the pre-series press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, Afridi said, \u201cThe series win against South Africa in Faisalabad was a great boost for our confidence. It was my first series as ODI captain and I was really proud of the way the players responded to different situations and played as a unit. The energy, intent and teamwork were outstanding.
\nAfridi also praised the team\u2019s recent progress in fielding, attributing the improvement to the new coaching setup.
\n\u201cFielding has improved significantly since the arrival of the new fielding coach. If you look at our recent series, our fielding standards have been much better. The boys are working hard individually and collectively, and our goal is to focus on every department to achieve excellence.\u201d
\nHighlighting collective responsibility, Shaheen stressed that improving Pakistan cricket is a shared mission. \u201cIt\u2019s not just the job of Rizwan, Babar, Fakhar, myself, or Saim. Every player, from the first to the last, has a role to play in making this team better. Rizwan, for example, has been one of the top ODI run-scorers since 2023, and Saim is improving with every match. Our aim is to support every player, even those out of form, because backing them helps them regain confidence and perform better for Pakistan.\u201d
\nSpeaking on team rotation and player exposure, Afridi said maintaining bench strength is crucial. \u201cThe same squad that played in South Africa will continue here. It\u2019s important that all players, including those on the bench, get opportunities. The more international exposure they get, the better they\u2019ll perform when big tournaments arrive.\u201d
\nDiscussing team selection, Afridi emphasized the captain\u2019s involvement in decisions. \u201cIf the captain understands the team composition, he can lead more effectively. Leadership plays a key role in how a team fights on the field.\u201d
\nAfridi further praised Babar Azam\u2019s form and resilience. \u201cBabar is a world-class player. One or two quiet matches don\u2019t define him. He\u2019s already showing good touch and, Insha\u2019Allah, will score a century very soon. It\u2019s great to see our own people supporting us, playing in front of our home fans is always a special feeling.\u201d
\n\u201cThis is Pakistan\u2019s team, it belongs to all of us. It\u2019s not about who captained before or after. We have to work together to take Pakistan cricket forward.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka expressed his confidence and respect for Pakistan\u2019s strength ahead of the upcoming series, highlighting the importance of playing competitive cricket to continue improving as a team.
\nHe said, \u201cYes, obviously, they are really good competitors, and that\u2019s the kind of cricket we want to play, competitive cricket. That\u2019s how we improve as a team, and such challenges help us grow.\u201d
\nThe Sri Lankan skipper praised Pakistan\u2019s formidable bowling attack, particularly their pace battery led by Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, along with the impressive spinner Abrar Ahmed.
\n\u201cTheir fast bowling unit is outstanding, and Abrar Ahmed has been doing really well too. As batters, that\u2019s the kind of challenge we look forward to,\u201d he added.
\nAcknowledging the difficulty of playing in Pakistan, Asalanka said his side is prepared for the conditions and looking forward to the contest.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s always tough playing in Pakistan, their home conditions present unique challenges. But our environment is very positive right now. They have a strong batting lineup with players like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, both in great form.
\nStill, our bowlers have been performing well too, so it should be exciting cricket from tomorrow.\u201d
\nAsalanka also appreciated Pakistan\u2019s hospitality and reflected on Sri Lanka\u2019s recent performances. \u201cThe hospitality has been excellent, and we\u2019re really enjoying our time in Pakistan. They played good cricket in their last series, and we did well in Zimbabwe, especially our ODI side. Our focus is to stick to the basics, keep things simple, and back our strengths,\u201d he said.
\nHe looked forward to a competitive and entertaining series. \u201cIt\u2019s always competitive cricket when Sri Lanka meets Pakistan. We\u2019re expecting exciting matches ahead. The past doesn\u2019t matter, it\u2019s all about the present. We\u2019ll focus on our basics and see how things unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Pakistan Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed gratitude and optimism ahead of Pakistan\u2019s upcoming cricket engagements, emphasizing team unity and the importance of learning from past performances. Speaking at the pre-series press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, Afridi said, \u201cThe series win against South Africa in Faisalabad was a great boost for our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513897,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-513879","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n