Lahore: Ahead of Australia tour, Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis will hold a bowlers camp at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
The national selection committee has invited 15 high-performing bowlers from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the ongoing National T20 Cup as well as fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the weekend camp.
The purpose of the camp is to provide the selectors better insight on the fitness and form of the bowlers that can further assist them while picking the T20I and Test sides. It will also give the bowlers an opportunity to understand their shortcomings and ways to improve their skills in the upcoming domestic matches.
Fast bowlers Abbas and Shaheen will be back in action after missing domestic matches. Abbas was given a break after the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to strategically manage his workload and fatigue, while Shaheen will return after for the first time since picking up dengue fever in August.
Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis said: “As the National T20 Cup has a two-day break, we thought of utilising this time by holding bowlers camp in Lahore with multiple objectives. But, this does not mean that the selectors have limited their selection options to these 11 bowlers. The selectors have an open mind and bowlers who are best suited to the formats and conditions on the upcoming tour will be selected.”
Chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, and Test captain Azhar Ali will also monitor the camp.
The T20I and Test squads for Australia tour will be announced by the chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq on October 21.
Bowlers invited for the camp are:
Bilal Asif, Bilawal Bhatti, Imran Khan Snr, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Irfan Junior, Musa Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Naseem Shah, Rahat Ali, Sameen Gul, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tabish Khan, Yasir Shah, and Zahid Mehmood.
Pakistan will play three T20Is and as many Tests against Australia, commencing from November 3.