LAHORE: Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team head coach Sabih Azhar was hoping his charges perform to the best of their abilities as the Saad Baig-led squad left for their tour of Bangladesh in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Pakistan play a four-dayer, five one-dayers and a solitary T20 against Bangladesh with matches to be played in Chattogram and Rajshahi. The four-dayer begins on April 30 with the tour-concluding T20 on May 17.

“We have prepared well for this tour and the boys are eager to showcase their talent,” Sabih said before the team’s departure. “We have been working on strengths and weaknesses of the players and are confident of putting up a good fight against the Bangladesh team.”

Saad, who also led the team when the Bangladesh Under-19 team toured Paki­stan last year, said he was “excited” at the opportunity.

“As a team, we are focused on playing our best cricket and competing in every match,” he said. “We have set some goals and are determined to achieve them.”

Saad is one of the seven players who featured in the home series against Bangl­adesh alongside vice-captain Ali Asfand, Arafat Minhas, Moham­mad Ibti­sam, Mohammad Ismail, Mohammad Tay­yab Arif, Shahzaib Khan and Wahaj Riaz.

Squad: Saad Baig (captain, Karachi), Ali Asfand (vice-captain, Faisalabad), Ahmed Hussain (Peshawar), Aimal Khan (Peshawar), Amir Hussain (Rawalpindi), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Hamza Nawaz (Lahore), Mohammad Ibtisam (Sargodha), Mohammad Ismail (Sahiwal), Mohammad Tahir (Fata), Mohammad Tayyab Arif (Sialkot), Obaid Shahid (Lahore), Sajjad Ali (Lahore), Shahzaib Khan (Mansehra), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad) and Wahaj Riaz (Karachi). Travelling reserves: Abidullah (Islamabad), Ikramullah Tareen (Quetta) and Muhammad Zulkifal (Charsadda).

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2023