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Galle, 14 July 2023: A year after witnessing the two Tests between Pakistan and Sri Lanka from the sidelines in Galle, Saud Shakeel enters the upcoming series on Sunday as one of the mainstays of Pakistan batting after an impressive Test home season.

He was one of the four players to make a debut in the first Test against England in Rawalpindi on 1 December and the left-hander was quick to make an impression with a fourth-innings 76. He scored a gallantry 214-ball 94 in Multan to take Pakistan in the touching distance of the 355-run target before being declared caught behind down the leg by the third umpire.

He scored another second innings half-century in the next Test in Karachi with a 53 and when New Zealand arrived in Karachi for the two Tests, he registered his maiden Test century with a 341-ball 125 not out in the second Test at the same venue where he had brought up his maiden first-class ton.

Saud has scored, at least, 50 or more in the six of his 10 innings. The next few weeks, however, will present Saud, who has made 4,844 runs at an average of 52.08 in 65 first-class matches, a different set of challenges, as he will play his first away Tests. The 27-year-old has made the most of the preparatory camps in Lahore and Karachi to make sure he has all the necessary tools to counter them.

?We have had good preparations leading into this series with camps in Lahore and Karachi, Saud told PCB Digital. I've focused on enhancing my skills and adding a few more shots in the repertoire. There was a specific focus on spin during the camp in Lahore, which gave me good practice to counter spin on the turning tracks here.

?I've also focused on how I can score runs in Sri Lanka conditions, because at the end it is the runs that matter. I play sweep shot well, so I further improved it. Playing the sweep helps me derail the line and length of a bowler. I have also worked to improve my reverse sweep and footwork to tackle spin here.

Saud has a variety of sweeps - paddle sweep, a full-fledge sweep behind or in front of squad and a slog sweep - in his arsenal and has deployed them with great effect over his career.

Does he premeditate when it comes to working the ball square by getting on his left knee?

 he said. Sweep shot is my strength. Some players improvise it, but I premediate it, as I want it to be perfect by reaching the pitch of the ball and having my head in the right position.

Pakistan famously squared the two-match series last year by recording the highest-ever pursuit in Galle by chasing down 342 at the back of Abdullah Shafique's 160 not out. Another youngster, Salman Ali Agha, made his Test debut in that series and Saud, ahead of his maiden away Test, is gathering as much knowledge as he can by speaking to those who played in those Tests.

?We [the players] do talk about the game and share knowledge, he said. ?I talk to Abdullah [Shafique] a lot because we are together mostly. When I was here with the team last year, I saw that the spinners do get help from the surfaces, but if you keep on countering them by playing attacking shots regularly and keep ticking the scoreboard, you shift the pressure on the opposition.

We chased 350 [342] in Galle last year, which looked an impossible task, but our plan was to go for runs and it put the opposition under pressure.

Though, this might be his first Test away from home soil, Saud comes with plenty of domestic experience that he believes helped him graduate smoothly to Test cricket. He captained Shaheens when they toured Dambulla to play Sri Lanka ' in two unofficial Tests and three List-A games in 2021. Pakistan batted only twice in the unofficial Test series and Saud made 118 in one of them.

?The experience of playing domestic cricket and for country's ' side helps a cricketer a lot. It has helped me a great deal too. I've played a lot of domestic cricket in my career. I toured here with Pakistan Shaheens in 2021, though we played in a different city, it gave me an idea of how conditions are here.

Having a cool and calm head has also helped. ?International cricket is all about handling pressure, so if you stay calm on the wicket you can make better decisions. Off the field, as well, I am calm, and it helps me in making better decisions.

Saud made the most of the off-season by turning out for Yorkshire this County Championship. The stint helped him understand how to further develop his game and ready himself for the challenges ahead.

?It has been a healthy break for me,he reflected. ?There was not much four-day cricket in Pakistan in the last six months so I went to the United Kingdom to play county cricket, which gave me a different experience. This off period also helped me to re-evaluate my game and understand how I can further enhance my skills and fitness, which will help me perform in this series.

Saud has had a strong start to his Test career, putting 580 runs at a scintillating average of 72.50. With five half-centuries and a century in 10 innings, which does he rate the best?

?My first century in international cricket in Karachi is quite dear to me and it is almost my favourite, he said. ?I regret not being able to finish the match in Multan [against England] when I got out on 96 [94]. Had I finished it for my team, it would have been my favourite.

Misbah-ul-Haq in a presser:

"I have not been contacted by PCB as of yet. When they will contact me, then I will see. I already have a lot of prior commitments, whether it is with leagues or with Television channels. It won't be easy to immediately to take up a role with the Pakistan team. I will have to see what role will be offered and whether I would be able to do it or not"

Zaka Ashraf's message to Babar Azam:

"Wish the whole team good luck for the Sri Lanka tour and the Asia Cup. The whole nation is behind you, we expect a lot from you"

"Play cricket with a brave heart, good spirit, and positivity. Leave behind the fear of defeat and step onto the field. The victory of the Pakistan team brings joy to the entire nation. There is immense talent among all of you. Raise the name of Pakistan high in every field!

Babar Azam's reply:

"We won Asia Cup when you were the chairman previously. We will try to win the Asian event once again in your presence"

"We will not leave any stone unturned to take the Pakistan team further up. We will enter the field with full energy and dedication for the sake of Pakistan"

Rigours, resolve and 17 overs on the trot: How Aamir Jamal earned Test spot

Karachi, 8 July 2023:

?There are no shortcuts in life,? Aamir Jamal tells PCB Digital after his selection in the Pakistan Test side for the tour of Sri Lanka this month. ?There is a certain process that one has to go through and it is only after that one truly values his achievements.?

Aamir had a stop-start beginning to his competitive cricket career. He had an impressive inter-regional U19 tournament in 2014 when he took 30 wickets at 16.97 in five matches after which he was named in Pakistan's squad for an U19 series against Afghanistan in Lahore.

It would take him four years from there to break into first-class cricket with a debut for Pakistan Television in 2018, before he became a regular feature in domestic circuit from the 2020-21 season as he began to turn out for Northern regularly.

Aamir captured the imagination of the entire nation through an immaculate last over when he defended 15 against an in-form Moeen Ali in Lahore to help Pakistan attain 3-2 lead over England in the historic seven-match T20 International series.

Following the series, Aamir, now aspiring for a spot in the Test side, rushed north to join his domestic side in Abbottabad for the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

?It [getting selected in the Test side] is meaningful for me,? the 27-year-old says. ?I was told by the national selectors that a spot is up for grabs in the Test side. I had missed the first two first-class matches of the season because of the T20I series so I went straight to my domestic team without any rest. The head coach (Ijaz Ahmed) gave me the option of resting, but I told him that I wanted to play as much first-class cricket as I could and I wanted to make it to the Test side for the two upcoming series [against England and New Zealand].

?I wanted to finish as the best all-rounder of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and that desire never let me sit out any match despite being provided opportunities to opt out with no consequences on our qualification for the final.?

Though Aamir had to wait a while for this call-up, he went on to finish as the best fast bowler and the second best overall in the tournament and played an integral role in his team securing their maiden first-class title as he took 31 wickets at 29.71 in nine matches and also recorded the best figures of the season.

?That is one first-class performance that I have enjoyed the most,? Aamir relishes as he recalls 4 November 2022 when he took eight Balochistan wickets in an extraordinary 17-over-long spell at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.

?I couldn't get going in my first spell. When I returned to the attack I bowled 17 overs on the trot. My bowling coach Sami [ullah Niazi] bhai was calling me from the dressing room to stop, but I did not because I had my eyes fixated on a spot in the Test side. I started to bowl really well ? I got one wicket, then two, then three and so on. When I got five wickets, Sami bhai told me to rest, but I said, ?it is now that I have started to enjoy bowling'. I ended up bowling 15 overs and I bowled with uniform pace throughout.

?As I took eight wickets, Sami bhai told me to give ninth scalp a go, so I bowled two more overs. Then Ijaz bhai jumped in and told me to rest as we had more matches ahead of us.?

Aamir finished with eight for 120 as the match ended in a draw.

He recently toured Zimbabwe with Pakistan Shaheens and displayed impressive bowling skills. The right-arm seamer was the leading wicket-taker in the six-match one-day series with 16 scalps at 21 - with a five-wicket haul in the second match ? and returned three for 51 and two for 45 in his side's win in the second first-class match, the only four-day game he played on tour.

Born in Mianwali, but raised in Islamabad, the Aamir Jamal of today has been shaped by the hardships he had to endure between 2014 and 2018.

?I did not play any substantial cricket for four years after playing U19 in 2014. I only got a few grade-II matches in a couple of seasons. I went to Australia upon being invited by someone who had come to play at our club. He was impressed with my work ethic and offered me a sponsorship. During the season in Australia, I got to know about an upcoming Pakistan U23 tour and I immediately came back as I could not let go of my love for Pakistan.

?I had pinned hopes on making an impact in the upcoming grade-II season, but I was not selected by any side. So I bought a car on bank lease and registered myself with ride-hailing services as I had to run my home. There was not much support from my family either so now I had to earn, to keep my house running, and give time to my training.

?For two years, right after Fajar (dawn) prayers I used to get online and start working. From five until ten-thirty in the morning, when people are going to offices, colleges and universities, I used to have my first shift, after which I bowled for two hours without any rest. After having a bit of food, whatever I could get my hands on, I used to bat and field.

?Around three in the afternoon until seven in the evening, I used to get online for my second shift as that is when offices, schools and colleges are getting off. After seven, I used to take an hour out for gym, following which I used to have my third shift that continued until midnight. Most of the times when I got home everyone used to be asleep.

?This struggle instilled punctuality in me and I started to value things. When you are forced to work hard and earn things, you value them.?

He has been driven by a desire to learn. When Pakistan and Sri Lanka played the first Test in Rawalpindi in 2019, Aamir pushed to be a net bowler so he could closely study the skill level of the players in the national side and bridge the gap between his own abilities and theirs by enhancing his skills. In the recent fast bowling camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, he put in extra overs to ready himself for the challenges he may face in Sri Lanka.

?An all-rounder has a lot of workload and I have always prepared myself keeping that in mind. I never miss a day of training at the NCA, so I continue to give ample time to my bowling and batting.

?Even during the recent fast bowling camp, I put in extra overs to train hard so the conditions don't pose a challenge for me in Sri Lanka. I consulted senior players on what to expect there and Imam [ul Haq] told me that it is more difficult for fast bowlers in Sri Lanka as compared to others and I need to prepare myself mentally for that as well, because if one gives up mentally, your body stops responding.?

The process has prepared him for the rigours of Test cricket and Aamir has his eyes set on making his Test debut as exciting as the T20I.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has formed a high-level committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, to decide on the national cricket team's participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The committee will explore and discuss all aspects of Pakistan and India relations, the government's policy of keeping sports and policy apart, and the situation in India for the players, officials, fans, and media before submitting its recommendations to Sharif. The Prime Minister is also the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Both the International Cricket Council and host BCCI have already announced the World Cup schedule and expect Pakistan to travel to India for the 50-over showpiece beginning October 5.

The PCB, however, has conveyed to them that the national team's participation in the premier event is subject to government clearance due to the tense relations between the two countries.

Other committee members include Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mahmood, Amin ul Haq, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and former diplomat Tariq Fatmi.

The concerned ministers have already indicated to the PCB that a high-level security delegation would be sent to India to inspect the venues where Pakistan's matches are scheduled.

The acting chairman of the board, Zaka Ashraf, and chief operating officer, Salman Taseer are also due to leave for Durban on Saturday night to attend the ICC meetings where it is expected that Ashraf would be discussing India's repeated refusal to send its team to Pakistan citing security reasons.

The much-awaited World Cup game between India and Pakistan will be staged at the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.

Pakistan will play their two warm-up games in Hyderabad before taking on Netherlands and Sri Lanka in their opening two World Cup matches at the same venue.

The team is also scheduled to play in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

Both India and Pakistan only play each other in Asia Cup or ICC events.

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Babar Azam speaking at a presser ahead of Pakistan's 2-Test tour of Sri Lanka:

"Sarfaraz bhai performed really well in last series. He will be my first choice as [wicketkeeper]."

"However, we will make a final decision after reaching there and looking at the combination. We will select the best possible team.?

Babar Azam speaking at a presser:

"We are going to play World Cup not only against India. There are nine other teams as well with whom we have to play our respective matches. We will only be able to reach finals once we defeat all of them."

"Our focus is not on one team; our focus is on ten teams altogether. Our plan is to play equally good against all ten teams so that we can reach the finals."

"Our stance is to play cricket regardless of the venues because, as a professional, you have to be ready for everything, including different conditions and different environments. This is what the real challenge is."

"Our main aim is to dominate, represent Pakistan and bag the victory, not only securing a win against one particular team."

The federal government has appointed Zaka Ashraf as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee on Wednesday.

The federal government approved the formation of the committee through the circulation of a summary.

The 10-member committee has been placed in charge for a period of four months.

A new chief election commissioner has also been appointed with Mahmood Iqbal replacing Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana.

The new committee have already scheduled their first meeting which will take place on Thursday (July 6) in Lahore.

The names of the 10-member committee are as follows:

Zaka Ashraf (chairman), Kaleem Ullah Khan, Ashfaq Akhtar, Musaddiq Islam, Azmat Parvez, Zaheer Abbas, Khurram Karim Somroo, Khuwaja Nadeem, Mustafa Ramday and Zulfiqar Malik.

Earlier, the Lahore High Court lifted the stay order on the election for the chairman of PCB on Monday (July 3).

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Mr Zaka Ashraf chaired the first meeting of Pakistan Cricket Board's Management Committee today at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Director National Cricket Academy Zakir Khan and other officers warmly welcomed Zaka Ashraf on his arrival. At the beginning of the meeting, all the members of the management committee unanimously expressed their full confidence in Zaka Ashraf.

The members said that they will work together with Zaka Ashraf for the betterment of cricket, the appointment of Zaka Ashraf as Chairman Management Committee will bring laurels for Pakistan cricket. In the meeting, Chief Financial Officer Javed Murtaza briefed the members of the committee on the PCB's budgetary affairs. The chairman of the management committee was also briefed on important issues including the constructions of stadia, central contracts of players.

Addressing the members, Mr Zaka Ashraf said that his prime focus will be on the improvement of cricket and cricketers. He also emphasised on bringing transparency in the affairs of the cricket board. He provided reassurance to the members that grievances regarding the elections of the Regions and Associations will be redressed and he guaranteed transparent elections for the Regions and Associations.

Also, facilities will be improved for cricket fans which include upgradation of hospitality boxes and bringing improvement in Abbottabad, Hyderabad and Mirpur stadiums. Also keeping in mind, the longstanding desire of the cricket fans of Peshawar, the early completion of Arbab Niaz Stadium should be ensured so that the fans of Peshawar can also enjoy HBL PSL matches.

Mr Zaka Ashraf mentioned that they will give full attention on the improvement of cricket and on the upcoming matters related to ACC Asia Cup and ICC World Cup.

During the meeting, Chairman also directed the Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer to provide Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry data for the audit.

At the end of the meeting, the management committee approved Mr Zaka Ashraf, Mr Salman Naseer and Mr Faisal Hasnain as the PCB representatives to participate in the ICC meeting.

Mohammad Amir speaking to the press:

"I have retired now, how am I hopeful for my return? If I hadn't retired, I could have said that I am very hopeful, but now I have retired. Now I have grown old, and there are youngsters in the team," Amir said.

Saud Shakeel speaking at a presser:

?Sri Lanka have quality spinners and they know about their playing conditions. We will have to play our best cricket [to beat them],

?I have played in Sri Lanka before as well but they were on different grounds. The conditions of the ground will be different this time but the weather will help us in adjusting to them,

?Playing for Yorkshire was very beneficial. As a player, every player is trying to enhance their skills. We have quality spinners as well.

?I always try to perform better in Tests so I can make my way into ODIs as well but as of now, I'm only thinking about Test cricket.

?BazBall is England's brand, our management have told us to play modern cricket, which is our way,