New-look Pakistan off to a solid start in first Test

Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan make their Test debuts at Pindi

New-look Pakistan on Monday got off to a solid start as they reached 74 without loss after being put into bat by Sri Lanka on the first day of their first Test at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Debutant Tayyab Arif was batting on 43 and with him at the other end was Azan Awais on 30.

Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan were handed Test caps.

For fast bowler Saqib, the debut marks the culmination of a journey that began with table tennis before his father encouraged him to take up cricket.

“I used to play table tennis and sometimes hardball as well. One day, my father asked me to play cricket,” Saqib said.
He credited his family for supporting him throughout his career, particularly his father and elder brother Bilal Naeem.
“When I came into the Pakistan team, I told them that my mother was crying a lot. My father was also crying,” he said, recalling his family’s reaction to his selection.

Tayyab, meanwhile, said cricket was a passion shared by his family, with his father playing a major role in introducing him to the sport.
“There was a lot of craze for cricket at home. My family, my cousins and especially my father were very fond of cricket. So I started playing cricket from home,” he said.

He began playing hardball cricket at the age of 12 before joining Jaguars Cricket Club, where he credited coach Faisal Naveed for helping him progress through the age-group ranks.

“Obviously, everyone dreams of representing Pakistan, especially in Test cricket. I was a little emotional, especially my father,” Tayyab said.

Squads:

Pakistan: Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, Saqib Khan.

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (captain), Lahiru Udara (wicketkeeper), Passindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayaka, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.