Pakistan drew the four-day warm-up game against Prime Minister's XI ahead of the three-match Test series against Australia, however, the Director of Cricket of the men's team Mohammad Hafeez wasn't happy with the arrangements, especially with regards to the surface presented for the practice match in Canberra. Hafeez while talking to the reporters in Perth on Monday, December 11 said that it was the slowest pitch a visiting team had encountered in Australia but was hopeful that his team is well-equipped to handle all conditions.
During a practice session at WACA ahead of the series opener in Perth Stadium starting Thursday, December 14, Hafeez said, "That was the slowest pitch a visiting team could ever play on in Australia. As a team we are really happy with our preparations because we ticked most of the boxes.
"Everyone knew [the pitch wasn't what we wanted], so there was no point of saying it again and again and raising the issue with Cricket Australia. The disappointment was really high because we weren't expecting these kinds of arrangements. Maybe it's tactical but we're ready for it. We're not using it as an excuse, we're ready for the challenges coming up," he added.
New captain Shan Masood slammed a fantastic double century and that should keep the visitors in good stead despite the Perth wicket likely to be the exact opposite of what they got in Canberra. There's new optimism in the Pakistan camp with new leadership and the environment being quite cheerful and Hafeez admitted that he wasn't surprised by Masood becoming the new captain.
"For me, seeing Shan become captain is no surprise. He was always ready for this role, and when you get this sort of opportunity, it shines. He's a superb player, and as a leader, he's got a great rapport with the players and a great relationship with the whole team. His experience as a captain and what he's learned over the years - especially the couple of years he's played county cricket - have all seen his management skills have come to the fore even more. What's important is this is a confident unit that's here and Shan is playing his role very well," he further said.
