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Sixteen-year-old offspinner Hamidullah Qadri has followed his sparkling first-class debut, in which he claimed a match-winning five-wicket haul for Derbyshire, with a call-up to the England Under-19 one-day squad to face India.His place in the squad means Qadri can push for inclusion in the Under-19 World Cup, which will be held in New Zealand next January. For the one-day games of India’s visit, the England selectors have only considered those players who will be eligible for that tournament.Qadri, who was born in Kandahar in Afghanistan, claimed 5 for 60 in the second innings against Glamorgan to lead Derbyshire to their first Championship victory since July 2015.The squad will be captained by Yorkshire’s Harry Brook, who takes over the leadership from Max Holden – a player not eligible for the World Cup – after the two four-day matches. The selectors decided not to consider the Surrey pair of Sam Curran and Ollie Pope, Yorkshire’s Matt Fisher, and Delray Rawlins of Sussex because they have become established for the county sides.Andy Hurry, the head coach of the Young Lions, said: “It’s going to be fascinating to see our most talented young cricketers put in that position. It’s worth noting that we didn’t consider four eligible players for selection as they are likely to be in contention to play first-team cricket for their counties – Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Matt Fisher and Delray Rawlins – not to take anything away from the guys who have been selected, but to underline the amount of young talent we have in the domestic game.”With the World Cup in New Zealand early next year, it made sense only to consider players eligible for that when we were choosing our squad for the Royal London One-Day Series. But that series remains very important in its own right, and there should be some excellent Under-19s cricket for players and spectators to enjoy this summer.”Four-day squad Max Holden (Middlesex, capt), Liam Banks (Warwickshire), George Bartlett (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Henry Brookes (Warwickshire), Ben Green (Somerset), Will Jacks (Surrey), George Panayi (Warwickshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Matt Potts (Durham), Oli Robinson (Kent, wk), Harry Swindells (Leicestershire, wk), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire), Amar Virdi (Surrey)One-day squad Harry Brook (Yorkshire, capt), Liam Banks (Warwickshire), Tom Banton (Somerset, wk), Henry Brookes (Warwickshire), Adam Finch (Worcestershire), Alfie Gleadall (Derbyshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Tom Lammonby (Somerset), Felix Organ (Hampshire), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jack Plom (Essex), Matt Potts (Durham), Hamidullah Qadri (Derbyshire), Oli Robinson (Kent, wk), Liam Trevaskis (Durham).

West Indies women have picked seamer Tremayne Smartt as a like-for-like replacement for the injured Shakera Selman, for the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. Smartt hasn’t played international cricket since West Indies’ tour of India in 2016. Her inclusion is the only change from the squad that had been named for the home series against Sri Lanka.Cricket West Indies (CWI) chairman Courtney Browne said continuing the momentum from the series win against Sri Lanka would be crucial in the lead-up to the side’s World T20 defence in November.”We will be hosting the ICC Women’s World T20 event later this year and as defending champions we will want to put on a good show in front of home supporters and win again,” Browne said. “This tour will help us assess where we are and tighten up on those areas that need close attention.”The squad will come together in Barbados for a preparatory camp before travelling to New Zealand where they will have another camp. The three-match ODI series will get underway on March 4, followed by five T20Is.West Indies women squad: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Anisa Mohammed (vice-capt), Merissa Aguilleira, Britney Cooper, Reniece Boyce, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Tremayne Smart

Jamie Porter, the Essex seamer, has been given the all clear following the stress fracture which ruled him out of the England Lions tour to Australia late last year, and is now stepping up his preparations for the Lions trip to the West Indies next month.Porter, who took 75 wickets in Essex’s County Championship winning campaign, was diagnosed with a hot spot in his back – later confirmed to be a stress fracture – before the Lions left for Australia. He was withdrawn from that part of England’s plans and given a recovery process which included joining the Pace Programme at Loughborough and on their pre-Christmas trip to Desert Springs in Spain.A second trip to Spain now beckons on a four-day warm-weather training camp with the Lions before the squad flies out to Jamaica on January 31 for a tour that includes three four-day matches and three one-day games against West Indies A.

Updated Lions squads

Whole tour
Keaton Jennings (Lancashire, capt), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Sam Curran (Surrey), Jamie Porter (Essex), Paul Coughlin (Nottinghamshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Alex Davies (Lancashire). Dominic Bess (Somerset)
Red-ball only
Haseeb Hameed (Lancashire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Mason Crane (Hampshire)
One-day only
Sam Northeast (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), George Garton (Sussex), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire)

Porter’s injury meant he had to watch the Ashes from afar rather than being alongside the main squad with the chance of a call-up if needed which he admitted was “tough to swallow”.”I got told I had the hot spot and then had a CT scan, so there was a three-day period where we were scratching our heads wondering if I could get through Australia with it,” he told the ECB website. “But when the scan results came back and I saw the stress fracture, that was definitely the final blow.”You look at what followed in the week or so after that, with people in the Ashes squad going down injured, and you just never know. Hopefully I will get the opportunity with the Lions in the West Indies to put things right and put my name in the hat again.””I had my final scan results back on Friday and it’s all clear,” he added. “So I’m back bowling at full whack, and I feel good – and I do want to hit the ground running.”Another pace bowler to suffer a back injury, Toby Roland-Jones, will also continue his comeback on the red-ball portion of the Lions tour. He was hit with his stress fracture just days before the Ashes squad was due to be named, for which he would have been a certain selection following an impressive start to his Test career against South Africa and West Indies.Elsewhere in the Lions squads, Essex’s Dan Lawrence, who was initially only included for the first-class leg of the trip, has been added for the one-dayers to replace Liam Livingstone after his call-up to the Test squad for New Zealand.Livingstone, Ben Foakes and Mason Crane are part of the squad for the three four-day matches against West Indies A before they link up with the Test team for the two-match series at the end of March.Sam Curran, the Surrey allrounder, won’t be part of the pre-tour camp in Spain after the England Lions management decided he was better served continuing his overseas stint with Auckland.

I am honoured by the confidence reposed in my by the CAC, in asking me to continue as Head Coach. The credit for the achievements of the last one year goes to the captain, the entire team, coaching and support staff.Post this intimation, I was informed for the first time yesterday by the BCCI that the Captain had reservations with my ‘style’ and about my continuing as the Head Coach. I was surprised since I had always respected the role boundaries between Captain and Coach. Though the BCCI attempted to resolve the misunderstandings between the Captain and me, it was apparent that the partnership was untenable, and I therefore believe it is best for me to move on.Professionalism, discipline, commitment, honesty, complementary skills and diverse views are the key traits I bring to the table. These need to be valued for the partnership to be effective. I see the Coach’s role akin to ‘holding a mirror’ to drive self-improvement in the team’s interest.In light of these ‘reservations’, I believe it is best I hand over this responsibility to whomever the CAC and BCCI deem fit.Let me reiterate that it has been an absolutely privilege to have served as Head Coach for the last one year. I thank the CAC, BCCI, CoA and all concerned.I also wish to thank the innumerable followers and fans of Indian cricket for their continued support. I will remain a well-wisher of the great cricketing tradition of my country forever.- Anil Kumble

The Associates can compete with Test teamsThere were three victories and one tie for Associates over Test teams in the tournament. Scotland beat Afghanistan and tied their group game against Zimbabwe; Hong Kong upset Afghanistan in the group stages; and then UAE, ranked 14th in the ICC ODI rankings, beat Zimbabwe in a crunch Super Six game, knocking them out of the tournament. The tournament was more competitive than many expected, with 13 victories for lower-ranked teams against higher-ranked ones and every team winning at least one game.This meant there were no easy rides to the World Cup. Before the tournament, West Indies were heavy favourites to qualify, with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan expected to duel for the second qualifying spot. But West Indies were left staring at an early exit when they fell behind in a tight Super Six game against Scotland – they eventually won by five runs on the DLS method. Afghanistan just about made it to the Super Six round after two losses to Associates in the group stages. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s tie against Scotland and shock loss to UAE left them out of the World Cup for the first time since their first appearance in 1983.Nepal’s win over PNG and Hong Kong’s loss to Netherlands secured them ODI status•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Nepal’s remarkable rise culminates in ODI statusAs recently as 2010, Nepal were playing in the sixth tier of world cricket. In less than a decade, they have risen to become one of 16 teams with official ODI status. They made the final step in the World Cup Qualifier, beating Hong Kong to finish fourth in their group and then Papua New Guinea in a playoff match to guarantee an eighth-place finish and with it ODI status. They will now be an ODI team until at least 2022, and while this does not guarantee fixtures against Full Members, it is a remarkable achievement.Crowds prove cricket is still alive in ZimbabweIt has been 15 years since Zimbabwe hosted a major ICC tournament, and there has been a steady decline in their cricket since, causing concern over the future of the sport there. But the crowds throughout the World Cup Qualifiers ranged from encouraging to vociferous, especially when the home side was in action. Attendances were so good, tournament organizers were forced to move a crucial game between Zimbabwe and Scotland from the smaller Bulawayo Athletic Club to the better-equipped Queens Sports Club. They were rewarded with a thrilling tie.With a number of games not being televised, fans took to social media to give a sense of the atmosphere at the grounds during Zimbabwe’s games. Merna Cremer, wife of Zimbabwean captain Graeme Cremer, became a minor celebrity among cricket fans when she live-tweeted scores from the Scotland game during a long powercut at the ground, a period when nobody, not even the ICC, had updates to share.Playing conditions come under scrutinySince not every game was being televised, the ICC decided not to implement the DRS during the tournament, despite there being World Cup spots at stake. Scotland were left bemused after two crucial decisions went against them and played a significant role in their narrowly missing out on qualification.Another questionable move was not having reserve days for any of the matches. The tournament was played in the middle of Zimbabwe’s wet season, and both the West Indies-Scotland and Zimbabwe-UAE Super Six games were affected by rain. Interestingly, Scotland had qualified for the 2015 World Cup after winning a crucial Super Six game on a reserve day, but were denied by the lack of one this time around. The ICC’s decision to cut the number of teams in the World Cup from 14 to 10 had already caused disgruntlement among lower-ranked teams and Associates, and that this tournament did not have some of the playing conditions other ICC events do only heightened that ire.

by two wickets.
ScorecardPaul Collingwood’s Durham loved a return to cricket’s roots•Getty Images

This game ended with small eruptions of blue and yellow joy in front of the pavilion and on the railway side of Trafalgar Road. They were accompanied a larger and more boisterous outburst of triumph from Durham’s players in the dugout as Chris Rushworth cover-drove a Kyle Jarvis half-volley to the boundary, thus placing a seal on Durham’s two-wicket victory.But, no, the occasion in its proper sense did not end there. For Paul Collingwood and his players later threw their bags on the coach that had arrived to take them home and told the driver they were staying in Southport. They played cricket with some of Southport and Birkdale most junior players on the outfield and one just wished that Colin Graves, the chairman of the ECB, had been there to see it. Look, one could have said, this is what can happen when you take four-day cricket back to its roots. Now, would you like a pint, Colin?Having been invited to Southport the Durham players did not overstay their welcome. They won the match, had a few drinks and regaled the Southport and Birkdale members with “Blaydon Races”, many, many verses of it, and then “American Pie” and “I’m Gonna Be”.On a golden evening when players made common cause with those who watched them, photographs were taken amid the rich choruses. It made a wonderful tuneful conclusion to the sweetest of weeks. Then the Durham players asked if they could come back to Southport next year.Suddenly summer is in full sail and she has a following wind.Of course the eagerness of Durham’s players to return may be something to do with the fact of their victory. Yet Lancashire’s players were also deeply appreciative of everything that this outground experience had offered them and they will certainly return for the county has a three-year staging agreement at Trafalgar Road.All spectators can hope is that the match is as stuffed with delights as the 2016 game managed to be. The final day began with the visitors needing 247 to win and when Collingwood’s side were 170 for 2, it looked that this might be a match to deviate from the pattern of damp-palmed tension which had characterised games between these sides.Even when Jack Burnham was leg before to a full length ball from Simon Kerrigan, few reckoned the match was about to be blown off course. After all, Burnham had made 52 and he had looked increasingly comfortable as he lifted both Steven Croft and Kerrigan for sixes.Lancashire did not look like taking wickets. “Bang, bang, bang,” said the players on the ground as they encouraged each other. But it did not happen. Then Keaton Jennings, after cutting and pulling his way to 82 off 140 balls in this season when even warm-ups are welcome preludes to success, skied a pull off Tom Smith. The wicketkeeper, Tom Moores, tottered under it, shielded his eyes and clung on. In Smith’s next over Michael Richardson perished down the leg side. 175 for 5. Ho hum.Enter Durham’s captain to warm and respectful applause.For all his 40 years, his 68 Tests and his trademark jig-and-squat as he goes out to bat Paul Collingwood still marches to the wicket with the air of a no-nonsense PE teacher on the way to sort out trouble in the playground. You know the sort, the type who announces himself with: “I don’t care who started it but I know who’s going to finish it.”For nigh on two decades Collingwood has been playing this sort of role in Durham cricket, ending collapses, calming mayhem. But not on this occasion. For he was pinned on the back foot by Smith having made only 4, and when the same bowler had Paul Coughlin quite brilliantly caught by Moores diving to his right, Durham were 195 for 7, still 52 short of victory. This glorious match was back in the hazard.Moores’s third catch was his best but in its way hardly better than that mighty skier which he could hardly see but still pouched to remove Jennings. For his part, Smith was in the middle of an eight-over spell in which he took four wickets for 12 runs and would finish with five for 25.But it was another 19-year-old in this game filled with promising young cricketers who then share in the stand which all but decided the match. Until he took a couple of wickets on the third afternoon, Adam Hickey had enjoyed – or not enjoyed – a quiet first-class debut, Now, he walked out to join Ben Stokes, who had already deposited Simon Kerrigan over the railway line and into Dover Road.As Hickey later explained, the two batsmen calmed things down before tea before going on the attack when the players returned. In truth, by this stage, with Durham on 197 for 7, the spectators needed the tea break as much as the players. On the resumption Stokes hit two more sixes over deep midwicket off Kerrigan and Hickey lifted Kyle Jarvis onto the roof of the pavilion with a much mightier blow.Steven Croft rotated his bowlers but the game was gone. Or was it? Suddenly Hickey called Stokes for a quick single and the England all-rounder was run out for 36 at the bowler’s end. Four runs needed. Rushworth dealt with business and another county match at Trafalgar Road was over.And all this drama followed an morning session which was as tense as was expected. Lancashire savoured the first success as early as the sixth ball of the day when Mark Stoneman played across the line to one from Jarvis which pitched middle and leg only to hold its line and take him on the pad. Durham responded by taking 26 off Nathan Buck’s four overs, forcing Croft to call Smith into the attack.Another good fourth-day crowd was held by the cricket and the ground grew in stillness broken only by the action in the middle. The houses on Harrod Drive became such as might be painted by Hopper, the trees as by Pissarro at Osny or Pontoise.Necessity, though, benefited Lancashire as Smith squared up Scott Borthwick, whose previous three innings against Lancashire had been 134, 103 not out and 64. The left-hander was caught in the gully by Alviro Petersen for 28 so that more or less qualified as under-achievement.Failures of any sort have been thin on the ground this extraordinary week. And the thing is that while Southport and Birkdale may be very special, it is not unique. There are many clubs who would welcome first-class counties and all they are looking for is the chance to put on a show.Outground cricket is enjoyed by spectators and appreciated by players. Amid the entirely understandable desire to maximise the revenue from other formats, someone should think a little more about taking the game back to the people who are its lifeblood.

ScorecardCameron Bancroft has shown a glimmer of form•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Just 45 overs were possible at drizzly Hove with Sussex’s Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire destined for a draw unless the rival captains can conjure up with a final-day run chase.Play was restricted to three spells, the lengthiest 32.1 overs in the middle session, and at stumps Gloucestershire had reached 150 for 1 in reply to Sussex’s 358 for 9 declared.The floodlights stayed on throughout but the pink ball did little to assist Sussex’s seamers while Gloucestershire’s batsmen settled for steady accumulation on a slow pitch with a damp outfield a further frustration.Cameron Bancroft made his second successive Championship half-century and Abi Sakande, Sussex’s promising 22-year-old seamer, was rewarded for an impressive spell with his first wicket in four-day cricket.Sakande said: “There is real competition for places just to get into our bowling attack so I knew I had to try and perform well today.I took five wickets against South Africa A a couple of weeks ago and have felt in quite good rhythm and I was pleased to get a wicket and with a bit of luck might have got a couple more.”It’s been a frustrating two days with the rain we’ve had but I have really enjoyed the experience. The pink ball does do a bit early on but then it gets a little soft but we stuck at it “But with Gloucestershire still 198 behind, it will need some imaginative declarations to ensure a decent finish with 150 overs lost so far including the entire second day.Bancroft, the 24-year-old from Perth, showed admirable application in the tough conditions, although he would have been run out on 31 had Jofra Archer’s shy at the stumps at the non-striker’s end hit the stumps.He put on 62 with Chris Dent before Sakande’s big moment when Dent mistimed a pull and was held at deep midwicket for 31.Will Tavare, too, had a let-off on 17 when he drove left-arm spinner Danny Briggs to mid-on but David Wiese failed to cling on to a difficult chance above his head, despite getting both hands on the ball.The ground was virtually deserted when play resumed for the final time at 9pm and Gloucestershire’s second wicket pair extended their stand to 82 from 27 overs with Bancroft 69 and Tavare 43 not out at stumps.

Big picture

Ben Stokes flying to New Zealand and signing up with Canterbury has been the big news of the week, but there is the small matter of New Zealand’s thin Test summer at home, starting with the two-match series against West Indies.The last time West Indies faced New Zealand in a Test, in June 2014, Jason Holder made his debut and was part of a team that suffered a series defeat at home. Three years later, Holder faces New Zealand as the captain of young side that has defended 189 against India in an ODI, hunted down 322 in the Leeds Test after suffering an innings-and-209-run defeat at Trent Bridge, and sealed a 1-0 Test series win over a full-strength Zimbabwe team in 2017.He believes West Indies are in a “pretty good place” with the present team and heading in the “right direction”. From fearing for his international career, Kemar Roach has fit in as the leader of the attack, which includes Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, and Miguel Cummins. Contrastingly, New Zealand are in a not-so-good place. For starters, they haven’t played Test cricket since March, while West Indies have played eight Tests since. They will also have to cope without the injured BJ Watling and Tim Southee, who is on paternity leave.

Form guide

New Zealand: DLDWW (completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: DWLWL

In the spotlight

With a rock-of-Gibraltar defence and excellent judgement outside off, Jeet Raval is arguably the best candidate to negotiate the new ball on what is expected to be a green top. The opener had a breakout season last summer, and was subsequently added to New Zealand’s list of contracted players for 2017-18. Can he build on the gains now?Unlike Raval, Jermaine Blackwood isn’t really a big fan of defence. Case in point: his second scoring shot in Test cricket was a disdainful thwack over long-on off Trent Boult. Blackwood, though, hasn’t passed fifty in his last 12 innings in internationals and tour matches, and could face competition from Shimron Hetmyer.

Team news

New Zealand have already announced their XI, picking Matt Henry over Lockie Ferguson as a replacement for Southee, and handing a Test debut to wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell at his home ground.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Jeet Raval, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Colin de Grandhomme, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent BoultSunil Ambris, who cracked 153 off 145 balls in the middle order in the tour game against a New Zealand A attack that contained seven international bowlers, is likely to make his Test debut and occupy the spot vacated by Kyle Hope.West Indies (probable) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Sunil Ambris, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt.), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

Early sightings of the pitch showed grass cover almost indistinguishable from the outfield, but that can often be misleading at this ground. ”It [The pitch] always looks a little bit [green] like that,” Kane Williamson said on Thursday. “There’s always something in the wicket if you do bowl well. But generally, it’s a fair surface which quickens up on day two and three”. The weather is expected to be largely fine for the duration of the match.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies haven’t won a Test in New Zealand since February 1995 when they secured a mammoth innings win at this venue.
• Trent Boult seems to relish bowling at the Basin Reserve: he has 27 wickets in six matches at an average of 28.07, including a 10-for against West Indies.

Quotes

“He [Henry] has been playing well for a long time and hasn’t had the opportunities that he’s deserved. He’s a different bowler to Lockie and has been bowling with good pace, and does tend to move the ball well.”
“Consistency is always our downfall. I think once we get on the park and play as one, I think the performances will come.”

I see witnesses have come forward to defend Ben Stokes. That’s great. So he can play in the Ashes then?Well hold on a minute. Somerset and Avon Police are still investigating the incident and the ECB has suspended him indefinitely as it awaits developments.The guy’s a hero. If Stokes had saved me from a beating, I’d have been down the nick in no time. What took these guys so long?Cricket’s not their thing apparently and they had no idea who he was until a policeman knocked on the door. But according to the they regard Stokes as “a real gentleman”.That’s good. So now Stokes has an alibi, why not just get the first taxi to Heathrow?It’s not an alibi. The footage still shows someone who looks very much like him throwing punches. As far as that goes, nothing has changed.It was self-defence, we all know that.An argument of self-defence would certainly help his case. But a court might still be asked to decide whether the level of force used was reasonable based on the circumstances as Stokes genuinely believed them.So if he is going to be charged, get on with it and find him not guilty. The first Test in Brisbane is less than a month away…“Slow but sure moves the might of the Gods,” as Euripides had it.Eh?The wheels of justice turn slowly.How slowly?Government figures suggest it takes an average of 24 weeks between the offence and the case being concludedBut that’s the end of the Ashes. And some.The middle of March. And the same figures indicate Bristol Crown Court can take twice as longSurely sometimes famous people deserve special treatment? This affects the enjoyment of millions of people.All right, you’ve convinced me. Get him on the plane.

After the discipline of Lord’s, the collective brain-fade at Headingley. If Pakistan were undone by good bowling in the first innings on the first day in Leeds, they were undone by their own urges on the third.At least five of their top eight fell to poor strokeplay, one caught at mid-on, another at mid-off, a third down the leg side, a fourth slogging, yet another playing across the line. It was the result, according to the captain, of a combination of factors.”We lacked discipline in batting in both the innings,” Sarfraz Ahmed said. “I think they also bowled well on the first day, but we had to play well in this innings and unfortunately we didn’t bat well as a unit.”A lead of 180-plus put pressure on us and we committed mistakes. And our batting unit is young so they will learn from the mistakes.”Thus in a rush of poor strokes ended a tour of considerable promise and with some gains for Pakistan. It wasn’t thought implausible before Pakistan arrived here that they might leave without a win.And Sarfraz had insisted all along that this would be a tour where they had everything to learn and nothing to lose. In that sense, the progress made by the likes of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf will have been especially pleasing.”If you see when we came here people thought that we will not win one game but the way we played at Lord’s everything was perfect, our fast bowling was perfect, our batting and fielding were perfect,” Sarfraz said.”It’s disappointing that we had a chance to win the series but unfortunately we didn’t play well here. I am proud of my young team, the way [Mohammad] Abbas is bowling. Shadab is doing well, Faheem did well so really disappointed that we didn’t win but 1-1 is a good result for us.”The problem, as it has been for several years now is that Pakistan’s Test players – such as Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Abbas – will be out of action until October, when they next play the longest format. There are plenty of white-ball commitments until then but developing a Test side that remains in seventh place in that kind of calendar becomes a challenge.”We played our last Test in October so it’s difficult when you play a Test after five or six months,” he said. “Test cricket is a different format, you have to adjust to five-day cricket.”So it’s tough for the Test players, like Abbas who played his last Test in October. It’s tough but as a professional you have to adjust. We didn’t play well in this Test but in the last two Tests we played well. The more you play Test cricket, you get to mature as Test player. Now we have five Tests in UAE [two against Australia and three against NZ], and then we have three in South Africa and that will help us mature.”