Pak to depend on SL Premier League for Australia ``home`` series preparation

Karachi: The Pakistan team management has decided against organising a training camp ahead of the home series against Australia in the UAE due to the cricketers`` participation in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) from August 10.

Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema said that a brief conditioning camp might be held just to assemble the available players before Eid. The SLPL has signed 13 Pakistan players and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave its approval as part of the deal with the Sri Lanka board, which will in return send its cricketers for the planned Pakistan Premier League. Over half a dozen players expected to be the part of Pakistan``s squads against Australia will be busy in the league until the UAE tour that comprises three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and as many Twenty20s from August 28 to September 10. Pakistan has already announced its squad for the Twenty20 series while the selectors are expected to name the ODI squad early next month. Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal and Umer Gul are among the players who will feature in the league in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Cheema hoped the decision not to hold a training camp will not have any adverse effect on the high profile series. "The league will be good preparations for the tough series. Most of our players will be getting a lot of match practice due to it. That is better than any training camp," Cheema said. "We are, however, planning a three-day camp before Eid for conditioning purposes. The available players will attend the camp and will be given anti-corruption and anti-doping lectures. But the plan will be finalised after coach Dav Whatmore``s return from vacations," he added. (ANI)