LAHORE: The Pakistan Under-19 cricket team will leave for Sri Lanka on Thursday to play five 50-over matches against the home team.

The tour was rescheduled in the wake of a serial of bomb blasts in the island on Easter Day, killing hundreds of people. Then, the team was to tour from April 30 and also play two four-day games, besides three 50-over matches.

The matches will be played in Hambantota on May 26, 28, 31, June 2 and 5 with Pakistan being led by 17-year-old Islamabad wicket-keeper/batsman Rohail Nazir. Azam Khan is the coach.

Talking to reporters, Rohail said that the tour will provide good international exposure to the players. He added that the prevailing conditions in Sri Lanka were the same as in Karachi so the team won’t have a problem acclimatising.

Rohail said the team had a number of players who could go into the senior side in the coming years, adding that despite the tour being rescheduled, the players were in good shape both mentally and physically.

Squad: Rohail Nazir (captain, wicket-keeper), Mohammad Taha, Abbas Afridi, Akhtar Shah, Basit Ali, Haider Ali, Khayyam Khan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Wasim, Niaz Khan, Saim Ayub, Shiraz Khan, Suleman Shafqat, Qasim Akram; Reserves: Amir Ali, Irfan Niazi, Mohammad Amir, Nadir Shah, Said Nazir; Coaching staff: Azam Khan (coach-cum-manager), Mohtashim Rasheed (assistant coach), Faheem Shah (physio), Saboor Ahmed (trainer), Usman Hashmi (analyst).

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2019