Pakistan Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed gratitude and optimism ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming cricket engagements, emphasizing team unity and the importance of learning from past performances.
Speaking at the pre-series press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, Afridi said, “The series win against South Africa in Faisalabad was a great boost for our confidence. It was my first series as ODI captain and I was really proud of the way the players responded to different situations and played as a unit. The energy, intent and teamwork were outstanding.
Afridi also praised the team’s recent progress in fielding, attributing the improvement to the new coaching setup.
“Fielding has improved significantly since the arrival of the new fielding coach. If you look at our recent series, our fielding standards have been much better. The boys are working hard individually and collectively, and our goal is to focus on every department to achieve excellence.”
Highlighting collective responsibility, Shaheen stressed that improving Pakistan cricket is a shared mission. “It’s not just the job of Rizwan, Babar, Fakhar, myself, or Saim. Every player, from the first to the last, has a role to play in making this team better. Rizwan, for example, has been one of the top ODI run-scorers since 2023, and Saim is improving with every match. Our aim is to support every player, even those out of form, because backing them helps them regain confidence and perform better for Pakistan.”
Speaking on team rotation and player exposure, Afridi said maintaining bench strength is crucial. “The same squad that played in South Africa will continue here. It’s important that all players, including those on the bench, get opportunities. The more international exposure they get, the better they’ll perform when big tournaments arrive.”
Discussing team selection, Afridi emphasized the captain’s involvement in decisions. “If the captain understands the team composition, he can lead more effectively. Leadership plays a key role in how a team fights on the field.”
Afridi further praised Babar Azam’s form and resilience. “Babar is a world-class player. One or two quiet matches don’t define him. He’s already showing good touch and, Insha’Allah, will score a century very soon. It’s great to see our own people supporting us, playing in front of our home fans is always a special feeling.”
“This is Pakistan’s team, it belongs to all of us. It’s not about who captained before or after. We have to work together to take Pakistan cricket forward.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka expressed his confidence and respect for Pakistan’s strength ahead of the upcoming series, highlighting the importance of playing competitive cricket to continue improving as a team.
He said, “Yes, obviously, they are really good competitors, and that’s the kind of cricket we want to play, competitive cricket. That’s how we improve as a team, and such challenges help us grow.”
The Sri Lankan skipper praised Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack, particularly their pace battery led by Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, along with the impressive spinner Abrar Ahmed.
“Their fast bowling unit is outstanding, and Abrar Ahmed has been doing really well too. As batters, that’s the kind of challenge we look forward to,” he added.
Acknowledging the difficulty of playing in Pakistan, Asalanka said his side is prepared for the conditions and looking forward to the contest. “It’s always tough playing in Pakistan, their home conditions present unique challenges. But our environment is very positive right now. They have a strong batting lineup with players like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, both in great form.
Still, our bowlers have been performing well too, so it should be exciting cricket from tomorrow.”
Asalanka also appreciated Pakistan’s hospitality and reflected on Sri Lanka’s recent performances. “The hospitality has been excellent, and we’re really enjoying our time in Pakistan. They played good cricket in their last series, and we did well in Zimbabwe, especially our ODI side. Our focus is to stick to the basics, keep things simple, and back our strengths,” he said.
He looked forward to a competitive and entertaining series. “It’s always competitive cricket when Sri Lanka meets Pakistan. We’re expecting exciting matches ahead. The past doesn’t matter, it’s all about the present. We’ll focus on our basics and see how things unfold.”