Pak to field strong team against Sri Lanka

Karachi: Chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Abdul Qadir, has said that Pakistan will be raising a strong team against Sri Lanka for the upcoming series.

"We are aiming to raise a strong team for the series against Sri Lanka," Qadir said.

He said that his prime motive is to improve Pakistan’s Test ranking and use the series as a launchpad for the same.

"Our aim is to help Pakistan gain a place among the top-two ranked (Test) teams in the world and want to start taking steps towards that direction with this series," the News quoted Qadir, as saying.

Pakistan is currently languishing on the sixth spot in the ICC Test rankings.

Qadir offered all help to coach Intikhab Alam inorder to improve harmony in the Pakistan dressing room, which has been in the news recently for all wrong reasons.

"We can sit down with the players and give them pep talks because team spirit is really very important to ensure best possible results," he said.

However, Qadir admitted that the gap created by the absence of some star performers such as Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif will be hard to fill.

"Yousuf’s exit has left a big hole in our middle-order and it’s very important that we find a good replacement," he said.

Almost 20 Pakistani cricketers including Yousuf have been banned by PCB to play for the national team after they joined the breakaway Indian Cricket league (ICL).

Despite lacking several star players in the team lineup, Qadir hoped that Pakistan will give a tough time to the Lankans in the series.

"There will be no excuses," he said adding "I mean we have to give our best no matter what the circumstances are," said Qadir.