Waqar Younis confident as team begins Sri Lanka tour

Lahore (AFP) Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis expressed confidence the cricket squad would achieve targets in Tests and one-day series as they set off for a tour of Sri Lanka on Monday. Pakistan will play three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s on their 53-day tour of Sri Lanka, with the aim of qualifying for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. Pakistan, currently ninth in one-day rankings, must beat Sri Lanka to get to the eighth spot or better before the September 30 cut off date for the Champions Trophy, which will feature the top eight teams. Waqar said he believed the team would reach the Champions Trophy. "We have set targets for Tests as well as one-day series and hope that the team does well on the tour to achieve the targets and I am confident that we will qualify for the Champions Trophy," he said. Since Waqar took over in June last year, Pakistan have lost five one-day series before beating Zimbabwe at home 2-0 last month – a series which revived international cricket in Pakistan after six years. "As a coach there is always pressure on you, it's there even when you are winning. Unfortunately we have lost five series but you must consider a lot of factors – the biggest was losing Saeed Ajmal," said Waqar of the ace spinner not selected for the Tests against Sri Lanka. He said both Pakistan and Sri Lanka were in a rebuilding phase. "They (Sri Lanka) lost some of their senior players and we have also lost some seniors so it will take time to rebuild the one-day teams but a tour to Sri Lanka is always tough," said Waqar. Pakistan lost Misbah-ul--Haq and Shahid Afridi while Sri Lanka saw Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara quit one-day cricket, all retiring after the 2015 World Cup in April. Pakistan open the Sri Lanka tour with a three-day warm-up match in Colombo from June 11 before the first Test starts in Galle on June 17. [caption id="attachment_77323" align="alignnone" width="500"] Pakistan cricket team captain Misbah-ul-Haq (2nd R) and teammates Yasir Shah (2nd L) and Junaid Khan (R) arrive at a hotel in Colombo on June 9, 2015. Pakistan will play three Test, five One-Day Internationals and two T20 Series in Sri Lanka between June 17 to August 1. The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on June 17 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle. AFP PHOTO/ Ishara S. KODIKARA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_77324" align="alignnone" width="500"] Pakistan cricket team captain Misbah-ul-Haq (C) and teammates arrive at a hotel in Colombo on June 9, 2015. Pakistan will play three Test, five One-Day Internationals and two T20 Series in Sri Lanka between June 17 to August 1. The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on June 17 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle. AFP PHOTO/Ishara S. KODIKARA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_77325" align="alignnone" width="500"] Pakistan cricketers Asad Shafiq (L), Haris Sohail (C), and Azhar Ali (R) arrive at a hotel in Colombo on June 9, 2015. Pakistan will play three Test, five One-Day Internationals and two T20 Series in Sri Lanka between June 17 to August 1. The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on June 17 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle. AFP PHOTO/Ishara S. KODIKARA[/caption]