"It'll be exciting to work with Babar Azam": Colombo Strikers' head coach ahead of Lanka Premier League

Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 13 (ANI): Colombo Striker head coach Simon Helmot has expressed his excitement to work with Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam and how the upcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL) will groom the young native players. 
The franchise's head coach, Simon Helmot, said that he is looking forward to working with Pakistan superstar, Babar Azam. 
"We have a well-balanced squad. Sagar and the team did a great job on Auction day. It'll be exciting to work with Babar Azam. There are quite a few youngsters in our group. The next challenge for us will be to do the job on match day. We'll be looking to set the tone in our first match," he said while addressing media persons at a virtual conference on Tuesday. 
Helmot further pointed out that the LPL will have an impact on the players at grassroots level in Sri Lanka.
"The tournament is certainly an advantage for the young players. It'll be great for the young bowlers to work with someone like Chaminda Vaas. The competition will also motivate players at the grassroots level to try and find a place in one of the LPL teams," he said. 
Meanwhile, Colombo Strikers' Bowling Coach Chaminda Vaas said, "We have quite a good bowling unit, which will be led by Naseem Shah and Wahab Riaz. Matheesha Pathirana performed well in the IPL. I am looking forward to the tournament." 
Vaas further stated that it's important for young players to learn from international stars, "LPL has certainly had an impact on Sri Lankan cricket and the tournament has produced good cricketers for the nation. It's very important for young players to learn from international cricketers."
The Colombo Strikers team owner Sagar Khanna also looked excited ahead of his team's first season of LPL, and said, "I've learned a lot by being on my journey in franchise cricket from USA to Abu Dhabi. Colombo is a big name and we wanted to acquire the team when we received the opportunity. We are really looking forward to the start of our journey in this season of LPL and are super excited and can’t wait to begin."
The Colombo Strikers are set to make their debut in the Lanka Premier League, which will be played from July 30, 2023 to August 20, 2023. They will take on Jaffna Kings in their first match of the LPL on July 30, 2023 in Colombo. (ANI)