England will be 'real test' for Pakistan, says Afridi

Irish Sun (ANI) Sunday 11th December, 2011

Pakistani cricket all-rounder Shahid Afridi is expecting England to be a 'real test' for Pakistan when they arrive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month although Pakistan's recent form against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will leave them in good heart ahead of the opening Test in Dubai on January 17.

On the eve of their Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan have won every trophy that has been available to them since sharing the Tests against West Indies, in the Caribbean, last May. However, that has included success against lower-ranked opponents including Ireland, Zimbabwe and now a struggling Bangladesh, the Daily Times reports.

Afridi won't be part of the Test team having retired from the format but is back as a key member of the limited-overs outfits and is aware that the visit of England will be step up from their recent opposition. England are ranked number one in both Tests and Twenty20 although remain mid-table in 50-over cricket following their 5-0 whitewash against India.

"Winning (throughout the year) gave us a momentum and moral is high. We have developed a winning unit but it will be exciting when we face England and that would be a real test. Playing against team like England or Australia is very exciting and then we will see where we stand," Afridi said.

Intikhab Alam, the former Pakistan coach, also believes the winning momentum will serve Pakistan well.

"We are coming in with a lot of victories under our belt and every player is laden with confidence. But we have to be wary about our upcoming series against England. We definitely need to work harder in various departments," he added. (ANI)