Akhtar has advised the Pakistan team to go into the series with a positive frame of mind and belief that they can beat the mighty England team in their own backyard.
Six cricketers who were found to be COVID-19 positive ahead of the team's departure last week, tested negative in the latest round of testing conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Raja pointed towards Pakistan's tour of Australia last year where Azhar could muster only 62 runs in four innings as the hosts recorded as convincing 2-0 series whitewash.
Since September 2018, England have played six different opening pairs in 18 Tests with none of the pairs opening more than nine times.
Pakistan's tour of England begins on July 30 with a three-match Test series. This will be followed by a three-match T20I series from August 29 to September 2.
The first Test begins at Lord's on July 30, and the team leaves for the tour on Sunday with 20 players and 11 support staff
PCB confirmed 20 players and 11 player support personnel will travel on a chartered flight to Manchester on Sunday morning for a three-Test and three T20I series to be played in August and September
The announcement from the ECB comes even though as many as ten Pakistan players tested positive for COVID-19.
The Pakistan squad will reach England on Sunday without the ten cricketers who were tested positive for coronavirus.
On Wednesday morning Hafeez clarified on Twitter that he and his family have tested negative and even shared the medical report to back his claim.
As many as 10 out of the 29 England-bound Pakistan cricketers have tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus
On Tuesday, Pakistan's tally of coronavirus positive cases shot up to 10. But both boards are confident about the tour.
The Pakistan cricket squad will leave for England on June 28 to play three Tests and three T20Is.
After Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, seven more Pakistan cricketers on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total count to ten.
The Pakistan squad of 29 players and 14 officials is due to take a chartered flight to London where they will spend 14 days in quarantine in Derbyshire.
"The board has made it clear to players their families can't travel with them and also explained to them it would be of no use even if their families reached and stayed in England separately.
While Misbah spoke about how he has had the constant support of Younis as skipper of the national team, he also said that Mushtaq as mentor would help the youngsters in the team prepare for the challenge that comes with playing in English conditions.
In addition to Younis, the PCB has also appointed wrist spinner and a veteran of 52 Tests Mushtaq Ahmed as the team's spin bowling coach and mentor for the three-Test and three-T20Is series, which will be played in August-September.
It seems to be an opportune moment for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to cut a deal for a return tour with England, who like several countries hasn't toured Pakistan citing security concerns following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive, Wasim Khan told a news channel that the PCB has agreed "in principle" to tour England in July.
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