Test series wins over Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh have whetted Pakistan’s appetite for success and they are
capable of beating world number one Test side England next month, coach
Mohsin Khan said.
However, interim coach Mohsin, who was
retained after guiding his team to series victories over the
sub-continent teams, said that England would pose a far bigger challenge
for Pakistan.
“England is the number one Test team in the world and their recent performances have been outstanding,” Mohsin said.
“We are expecting a very tough contest
and the good thing is our players are already talking about the series
and its significance to Pakistan cricket.”
“It is true that Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh are not as strong a challenge as England will be. But the
good thing is that our team has developed a taste for success and every
player is contributing in some way so we can win.”
Pakistan will play three Tests, four
one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches against England in Abu Dhabi and
Dubai, starting next month.
Mohsin, who was the chief selector until
he was appointed coach last September, denied that the hosts will have
any advantage from the low and slow pitches in the Gulf nation.
“England is a thorough professional side
and has been stable under the guidance of (coach) Andy Flower and
(captain) Andrew Strauss so what will matter is how you play session by
session,” Mohsin said. “Conditions will be same for both sides.”
Mohsin, who played 48 Test matches for
his country, denied that Pakistan will rely heavily on their spinners
during the three-Test series.
“We are fortunate to be blessed with
both quality pacers and spinners so we are not going to rely on anyone
in particular,” the 56-year old said.
“Our recent mantra has been to focus and
plan things on a match-to-match basis and we will continue with that
against England as well.”
The Pakistani selectors are due to name
the Test squad for the series on Monday. Pakistan are playing “home”
series in the Gulf region due to security concerns in their own country.
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