LAHORE — Pakistan cricket captain Sarfraz Ahmed said Saturday he had high hopes for his young and inexperienced side on its tough twin tours of Ireland and England starting this month.

The 16-member squad flies early Monday and after two side games against county teams in England will play a one-off Test against Ireland at Dublin May 11-15.

It then faces a formidable England side in two Tests at Lord’s (May 24-28) and Leeds (June 1-5).

Sarfraz said his players were eager to do well.

“Our hopes are very high and I am very optimistic with these new boys,” he said after a short training camp in Lahore.

“The best thing about these players is that they are willing to perform well at the bigger platform.”

Pakistan will be without senior batsmen Younis Khan and Misbahul Haq who helped them level a four-match series 2-2 against England in 2016.

Both retired in May last year.

“Whenever there is a tour of England the conditions are considered as tough. On our previous tour in 2016 we played matches in June but this year we are starting a bit earlier so obviously it will be difficult.

“We are obviously missing our two senior players and we have an inexperienced side,” said Sarfraz of his team which has five players awaiting their Test debut.

Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq, batsman Usman Salahuddin and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf have featured in limited over matches but not in the five-day format.

Middle-order batsman Saad Ali is picked for the national team for the first time after notching 957 runs — the most in the last domestic season.

Pakistan will miss ace leg-spinner Yasir Shah, ruled out of the tours with a hip injury.

“If Yasir was fit he would have been an automatic selection but we still got good spinners and Shahdab Khan is the best option,” said Sarfraz of the 19-year-old who has played just one Test.

While Ireland is playing its inaugural Test after being accorded the status just last year, Sarfraz said it would also be tough opponent.

“They are a strong team with most of their players regularly playing in county cricket in England, so I am expecting a good competitive match against them.”

Smith named as new

England selector

Former Test batsman Ed Smith has been appointed as England’s new national selector, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Friday.

The ECB said Smith, who succeeds James Whitaker, would be part of a “new approach to scouting, assessing and selecting players for the senior men’s Test, T20 and one-day sides, ensuring greater connection right through the international pathway”.

Smith, who had been a Cricket writer and broadcaster, said: “I’m delighted to take on the role of national selector. I was very happy with what I was doing previously but the chance to be at the forefront of this development in English Cricket was too good an opportunity to turn down.”

The 40-year-old Smith, who has a first-class history degree from Cambridge University, has written approvingly of the ‘Moneyball’ approach to recruitment that has revolutionized the process of talent identification in major North American sports. Selection and talent ID have always fascinated me and I’ve explored extensively how they are evolving,” he added Friday in an ECB statement. — AFP