Shoriful Islam gears up for Pakistan series with eyes on Babar's wicket

Shoriful Islam is set to return to international cricket with the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, following a hiatus. Although he was part of the squad for the T20 World Cup, he did not feature in any matches. After the World Cup, he participated in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and now, with the Test series against Pakistan, he will make his return to international cricket.

Ahead of the first Test, the Bangladesh team practiced in Lahore on Friday. During a press conference, Shoriful expressed his gratitude, stating, "Thanks to the PCB for providing us with excellent practice facilities. I’ve enjoyed the experience here, although I had to adjust to the somewhat hot weather."

Shoriful last played Test cricket in March-April of this year. Reflecting on his return to the format, he said, "It’s been a while since I’ve been preparing for red-ball cricket. I had to adjust, but we’ve had some time to work on fitness and bowling workload. I believe everything is nearly covered."

The first Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan is scheduled to begin on August 21 in Rawalpindi. Commenting on the pitch conditions, Shariful mentioned, "Firstly, I haven’t seen the pitch in Rawalpindi yet. I’ve heard there will be some grass for the fast bowlers. We’re also expecting some grass on the wicket. All fast bowlers prefer a pitch with grass and seam movement, so this should be beneficial for us."

Shoriful anticipates a challenging series against Pakistan, noting, "They have world-class batsmen, and our bowling attack is also strong. We need to fight hard against them, especially since it’s a home series for them. We’ll need to adapt and put up a strong fight."

Regarding his target to dismiss Babar Azam, Shoriful said, "In my opinion, Babar Azam poses a significant challenge for Bangladesh. It’s crucial to get his wicket early. Babar Azam is a wicket I dream of taking. If I can dismiss him, it would be great. I played with him in the LPL last year, and he is a very good person as well."