Pakistan U-16 National team off for Bangladesh
The Pakistan Under-16 team, to be captained by Umer Eman off for Bangladesh early Friday (today) morning for two three-day and three 50-overs matches to be played from April 29 to May 15.
The Pakistan squad during the April 29-May 15 tour play two three-day matches followed by three 50-overs-a-side games against their Bangladesh counterparts. Led by Umer Eman, Pakistan’s U-16 national cricket squad leaves for Bangladesh early on Friday.
The 16-member Pakistan squad in the lead-up to the tour underwent rigorous training sessions at the National Cricket Academy besides playing one three-day and two-day, and two 50-over practice matches at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Umer, under whose captaincy Pakistan U-16s defeated Australia in the UAE, has become first Pakistan player, who will not only lead the team on the second consecutive tour, but also as a player he is the first who will be on his third successive assignment in Bangladesh.
Earlier, Umer first toured Australia with the U-16 team under the captaincy of Siam Ayub and then he led Pakistan against Australia in the UAE and won the series -- clinching the one-day series 3-2 as well as the one-off Twenty20.
Meanwhile, talking to Dawn, Umer said as he did not know the strength of the Bangladesh team, he was not in a position to predict victory.
“But our team is strong and well prepared and in good confidence after winning against Australia,” Umer, who plays for Khizra Cricket Club, Lahore, said.
Umer was the top scorer in the series against Australia with a tally of 169 runs. He also took seven wickets as off-spinner in the said series.
Squad:
Umer Eman (Lahore, captain), Kashif Ali (Karachi, vice-captain), Ahmad Khan (Abbottabad), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Aliyan Mehmood (Karachi), Amir Hassan (Rawalpindi), Aseer Mughal (Rawalpindi), Faisal Akram (Multan), Farhad Khan (Fata), Haseebullah Khan (Quetta), Khalid Khan (Quetta), Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Waqas (Faisalabad), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Sameer Saqib (Faisalabad), Zubair Shinwari (Fata, wicket-keeper).
Reserves: Ali Hassan (Sialkot), Arham Nawab (Faisalabad), Ayaz Shah (Fata), Muneeb Wasif (Lahore)
Officials: Taimoor Azam Khan (manager), Mohammad Ashraf (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Imranullah (trainer), Rehan Khalid (physiotherapist)
Tour schedule:
April 29-May 1: First three-day match, Fatullah
May 5-7: Second three-day match, Khulna
May 10: First one-dayer, Khulna
May 12: Second one-dayer, Khulna.
May 15: Third one-dayer, Khulna
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