KARACHI, Sept 1: Terming harmony among players and maintenance of physical fitness as instrumental in his team’s success in the recently held tri-nation one-day series in England, Pakistan U-19 cricket coach Azam Khan believes the tour will help his boys in their preparation for next year’s Junior World Cup.

“Our U-19 players combined together well while appreciating each other’s performance, and according to a pre-set fitness plan given to them maintained their fitness level throughout the England tour, all of which helped them gain maximum output in the England tri-series,” Azam said while talking to Dawn.

“The players had been told in clear terms to give their best and they did it magnificently.

“This tour was beneficial for our team in knowing their strengths and weaknesses as the Junior World Cup, to be held in Dubai, draws near. We expect a tough contest in the World Cup particularly from Asian teams like India, Sri Lanka and even Bangladesh as the showpiece event is being staged in Dubai, where playing conditions favour Asian outfits,” the coach added.

Pakistan last month under the captaincy of Sami Aslam thrashed their English counterparts by 192 runs in the tri-nation series final at Trent Bridge.Pakistan maintaining consistency remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, also involving Bangladesh, as the green shirts won six out of seven matches in the competition with one game against Bangladesh ending in no result.

When asked to pick potential players from his triumphant team having flair to improve further Azam named Sami, left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, all-rounder Hussain Talat, Kamran Ghulam, Shayan Jahangir, wicket-keeper Saifullah and paceman Zia-ul-Haq.

Meanwhile, Sami, the highest scorer in the tri-series, said he had kept his best for the final.

“The final was my target, we kept our wickets intact to attack English bowlers in the late overs. The hard work by the team paid rich dividends and being the captain of a winning side gives me a sense of honour,” 17-year-old Sami, who smashed a match-winning 110 in the final, said.

“And as this was our first tour, the excellent performance by our team is indeed a good sign for Pakistan before the World Cup,” he added.

“Moreover, the lectures and one-to-one sessions with the PCB psychoanalyst Moin-ul-Atiq proved very beneficial for us on the tour,” Sami, who has done his intermediate in general science, stated.

Ali Zia, the U-19 team’s manager in England and PCB’s senior general manager, while expressing his thoughts on the tour, emphasised players discipline — on and off the field — was his top priority.

“As the manager, my first and foremost focus was cricket, which I had clearly conveyed to all the players. Keeping the unfortunate case of spot-fixing in 2010, our team management had an added responsibility to keep our players’ focus on cricket both on and off the field, which I think in the end produced very positive results for us,” Ali said.

Speaking in-depth on different basic aspects of the game, Ali commended the role played by Moin.

“Moin’s untiring effort for our players before the departure to England had a profound impact on the players’ show in the tri-series. He had delivered highly useful lectures covering four facets of a game — technical, tactical, mental and physical — all of which not only prepared the players physically but mentally too for any tough situation,” he elaborated.