Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistani opener, hopes to be instrumental in Pakistan's preparations when they host a few series with an eye toward the World Test Championship final (WTC) spot.
With the next Test series against England and New Zealand at home, Babar Azam's team will aim to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final for next year after the disappointment of losing the T20 World Cup final to England at the MCG.
For Pakistan, Imam-ul-Haq's performance in those five Test matches will be crucial, and the opener is hoping his team can win at least three games at home.
A few victories at home over the next two months could put Pakistan, which is currently fifth in the WTC standings with a win percentage of 51.85, in the running for a top-two finish and a spot in next year's championship match.
Before playing two matches against New Zealand at the end of December and into January that will be crucial to their chances of securing a berth in next year's WTC decider at The Oval, Pakistan will first play a three-Test series against England next month.
The series against England and New Zealand is crucial for us because of the World Test Championship, according to Imam, who was quoted by the ICC. "Three or four victories throughout the forthcoming series will keep us in the running for the championship."
While many of Imam's teammates play for Pakistan in T20 tournaments and attended the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, the 26-year-old has been putting serious effort into his preparation for the Test matches by competing in domestic red-ball matches.
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy opener for Balochistan has scored 229 runs from six innings at an average of about 38, and the left-hander hopes to continue this success against England and New Zealand.
"I'm trying to maintain my form by playing domestic cricket," he said. "Test cricket usually happens after a long gap which is why we have to prepare for it from scratch every time." The series against England will be the first against an English side on Pakistan soil since 2005 and Imam is eagerly awaiting the opportunity.
"I like playing Test matches on home soil as compared to ODIs and T20Is," Imam said. "I'm happy to see that England and New Zealand are sending their full-strength teams to Pakistan. Top teams visiting Pakistan is good for our cricket."