Pakistan’s new chief selector Inzamamul Haq has demanded seaming pitches for preparation before the national side begins tour of England in July this year, foreign media reported on Friday.
Due to England’s impressive Test record at home, Inzamam has told Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief curator that players who attend the camp from May 29 onwards in Lahore should be given fresh seaming pitches for practice.
“Inzamam has gone through England’s record in Tests at home and is well aware that they thrashed India 3-1 in 2014, despite the visitors having a world class batting line-up,” a PCB member said.
Earlier, Inzamam also convinced the board to send the team two weeks earlier to England to set up an acclimatization camp in Hampshire before the tour officially begins in July.
Read more: PCB confirms two-week training camp in England
Around 31 probables are currently attending a boot camp in Abbottabad to assess and raise fitness levels of players.
However, from May 29 onwards the action will shift to Lahore where players will be joined by the new head coach, Mickey Arthur. The week-long camp based in Lahore will focus on players’ cricket skills for England’s tour.
The chief selector has proposed these measures to allow squad members to adapt to English conditions, as this will be the first time since 2013 that Pakistan will play a Test series outside Asia and the Middle East.
Even though Pakistan are among the top three Test sides in ICC rankings, critics have questioned their batting performance which is mainly restricted to friendly conditions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
