CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh - Pakistan batsman Younis Khan has
promised there is no danger of complacency from his team when the
two-test series against Bangladesh begins Friday.
Pakistan swept the one-day series 3-0 and also came out on top in the one-off Twenty20 match.
"When we play tests, we expect test level of competition,"
Younis said. "Although they struggled in the T20 and ODI matches, test
is a different ball game, and I think if they play according to the
situation and stick to their goal, they will give us a tough
competition."
Pakistan is on an unbeaten streak stretching back to the
one-day series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates last month
and is up against a team that has won just three of its 71 test matches
since gaining test status in 2000.
"I think in the test series Bangladesh have good chances,"
Younis said. "In tests, you have time to learn from your mistakes. So if
they play well, they will give us a tough time."
Bangladesh will hope the spin-friendly pitch at
Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium will play into their hands
when the first test begins Friday, although it was their batting that
let them down in the limited-overs series.
With that in mind, former skipper and middle-order batsman Mohammad Ashraful has been brought in to strengthen the 15-man squad.
"Throughout the (limited overs) series our fielders and
bowlers did a good job," Bangladesh batsman Shahriar Nafees said. "Even
Pakistan had to struggle to score runs against our bowling attack.
"So it's time for our batsmen to put up good performance on the pitch."
Bangladesh has dropped opener Imrul Kayes and middle-order
batsmen Raqibul Hasan and Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury. Ashraful, allrounder
Mahmudullah, medium-pacer Robiul Islam and batsman Nazimuddin are all
included.
"We want to make a comeback strongly correcting our mistakes and play our best cricket," Nafees said.
Pakistan must do without fast bowler Junaid Khan so Aizaz Cheema could get a chance to open the bowling with Umar Gul.
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Squads:
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal,
Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Nasir
Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Elias Sunny, Shahadat Hossain,
Suhrawadi Shuvo, Robiul Islam, Mohammed Nazimuddin.
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar,
Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Adnan
Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Aizaz
Cheema, Mohammad Khalil. AP
