Pakistan Under 19 captain Farhan Yousuf sees the upcoming tri-series with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan as an opportunity for preparation for the team ahead of the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup, set to start in January in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The Green Shirts, who won the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup earlier this month by defeating arch-rivals India in the blockbuster final, held their first training session here at the Harare Sports Club, where they will kick-start their tri-series campaign against Afghanistan on Saturday.
Speaking to PCB Digital, the Pakistan captain shared that the national players are confident and excited for the upcoming challenge after a monumental glory at the recently concluded continental tournament.
He further stressed the importance of the tri-series in helping his side acclimatise to the conditions here, as they will be playing all of their group-stage matches of the U19 World Cup in the same city.
“The Asia Cup was a good win for us, and the players showed great morale and intensity. The players are confident and excited as we head into the tri-series,” Farhan told PCB Digital.
“The tri-series is very important for the players and will help us find the right combinations ahead of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup. The conditions here are similar and will be beneficial for our World Cup preparations,” he added.
The middle-order batter also hailed Afghanistan and Zimbabwe as “strong and competitive” sides, emphasising their mantra of respecting their opposition.
“Both teams in the tournament are strong and competitive, and we respect every opposition as we look forward to a competitive event.”
After their campaign opener against Afghanistan on Saturday, Pakistan will take on Zimbabwe at the Prince Edward School on December 29, while their remaining two fixtures against Afghanistan and the home side are scheduled for January 2 and 4, respectively.
The top two teams in the standings after the league stage will advance into the final, slated to be played at the Old Hararians Sports Club on January 6.
Pakistan squad for tri-series and U19 World Cup
Farhan Yousaf (c), Usman Khan (vc), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, and Umar Zaib.
Non-traveling reserves: Abdul Qadir, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar, and Mohammad Huzaifa.
