Pakistan captain Azhar Ali heaped praise on young pacers in his team such as Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, saying he feels he is very fortunate to have them around. 

Both inexperienced but talented quicks are on their maiden Test tour to England. The visitors, by the words of the captain, are banking on the duo to deliver the goods against an opposition batting line-up which, even though vulnerable, will still have familiar conditions to tackle them in. 

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"The way Naseem and Shaheen have bowled in recent series, I as captain feel very lucky to have them in my squad," Azhar said during a PCB podcast as per Cricket Pakistan, adding that the presence of experienced pace heads like Mohammad Abbas and Sohail Khan gives Pakistan a nice balance. 

"The best thing is that we have experience in the shape of Abbas. Sohail Khan is also on this tour and he is also sharing his experience with the players."

"I think our bowlers will get a lot of advantage. Yasir Shah is there as well who has ample experience. He is a leg-spinner and his guidance for young players is also very important."

This being Pakistan's first series after an extended break due to COVID-19 pandemic, Azhar realises, players will take their own time regaining the rhythm and overall feel for the game. The visitors have had quite a few scenario-based, inter-squad practise matches in their quarantine and training period since arrival. But, as is well known, there is no substitute to Test match experience. 

"Sometimes you score runs and sometimes you don't. Our players however seem to be in good touch. The balance of the side is also very good. Pakistan always performs well in England," said Azhar. 

"Because of Coronavirus, we have been in lockdown for quite some time. This has been a challenging experience and in the start, the players did seem a little rusty in camps especially in terms of bowling."

"Slowly but surely, we are getting better with training and the players are recovering their form. The workload for the fast-bowlers has been good," he concluded. 

The first Test of the three-match series begins on August 5 in Manchester.