RAWALPINDI: Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar predicts that Pakistani batsmen will face difficulty when playing in England.
The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ added it can take up to at least 15 days before players get accustomed to a country’s conditions.
Speaking to the media at a National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) awareness seminar on Saturday, Akhtar said, “the English conditions will prove to be tricky for Pakistani batsmen,” however, he has high hopes that the team will come out on top.
Akhtar also cautioned the players that they should not take Ireland lightly and play against them like any other team.
Talking about road accidents and the work of NHMP during his address, Akhtar recalled the time when he was badly injured while riding a motorcycle in 2004. The incident made him realise the importance of wearing a helmet.
Pakistan, in comparison to neighbouring countries, is a lot safer when it comes to road safety.
Despite that 62 of the 92 motorbike related incidents took place because of not wearing a helmet in 2017, according to the NHMP.
The Pakistan cricket team kicked off the tour with a four-day warm-up match against Kent on Saturday.
This will be followed by a second tour match against Northamptonshire on May 4.
The team will then take on Ireland, who will be playing their first-ever Test on May 11 before taking on England in two Test matches on May 24 and June 1.
This will be followed by two T20 internationals against Scotland on May 12 and 13.
