GALLE, SRI LANKA (AFP) – The last Test Pakistan won began a year ago on Sunday against Sri Lanka in Galle, and captain Babar Azam hopes to finally record another win in the match starting on the same date and ground.
“Really excited to be back in red-ball format and all eyes are on the Galle Test as we are prepared and ready for the challenge,” Azam told reporters yesterday.
The batsman is the only cricketer in the world ranked in the top three in all three formats – third in Tests, first in One Day International and second in T20 internationals.
But his side’s form is a marked contrast: they have won none of their last six Tests, and last year’s Galle fixture was their only long-format victory since the start of 2022.
“We are taking one step at a time, but we have to be consistent across all formats,” Azam said.
“One of the positives going into the Galle Test is that 13 of our players were here 12 months ago.” The two-match series marks the start of their International Cricket Council World Test Championship 2023-25 participation, and Azam was delighted to have Shaheen Shah Afridi back in the side.
The fast bowler is sitting on 99 Test wickets and will aim to become the fourth-fastest Pakistan quick to complete a century of wickets.
He has been waiting to reach the mark for a year, after being injured at the same Galle ground.
