Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed on Friday lauded the new domestic structure being introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying it would encourage players to perform better.

"Everyone's target is to improve Pakistan's cricket. Earlier, it seemed like a few players will have to sit out [from domestic teams] but from the teams that have been formed, it looks like this will not happen and most of the players are included in [domestic] teams.

"Competition will increase and boys will work hard and invest their 100 per cent in order to make it to the provincial teams," he said.

Ahmed, who is captaining the Sindh provincial team, added that domestic teams included players who are currently representing Pakistan in international cricket as well as those who will play for the country in the future.

"I think this is a good combination; junior and senior players are playing together."

Ahmed was addressing a press conference at the National Stadium in Karachi after a training session for an upcoming match between Sindh and Balochistan teams that will be played at the UBL Sports Complex on Saturday. The game is part of the first round of matches in the four-day first-class Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

Earlier this month, the PCB had unveiled a new domestic cricket structure under which inter-club cricket of each city will form a team which will compete in the inter-city championship. The best players of the second tier will form the respective provincial teams to compete in first-class events of all three formats from which Pakistan teams will be picked.

Sri Lanka tour

In response to a question, Ahmed said that Pakistan could only request the Sri Lankan team to tour the country and added that in the last few years, foreign players had been provided foolproof security.

"Events have taken place over the past few years and there have been no security issues," he said.

He further said that Sri Lanka did not need to be reminded that Pakistan were the only team that agreed to tour the country when it was in turmoil and shunned by international teams.

"Pakistan has always supported other countries by touring. Recently, Pakistan sent its junior team to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after [the Easter bombings] took place."

Responding to a question, Ahmed said that while the PCB has made multiple efforts to revive international cricket in the country, the International Cricket Council and other cricket boards must also "support Pakistan".

Sri Lanka's cricket team is scheduled to tour Pakistan to play three ODIs and three T20I matches from September 27 to October 19. The upcoming tour is now shadowed with doubt as the Sri Lanka cricket board yesterday said it had received a terror attack warning and had been advised to “reassess the situation”.

Misbah, Waqar have always been supportive

Speaking about the appointments of former captain Misbahul Haq as head coach and Waqar Younis as bowling coach, Ahmed said that both former players had "always supported the team and will continue to do so".

He was optimistic that under the new structure, where regional team coaches will report to the chief selector, talented players will be able to make it to the national cricket team.