Calcutta: For Sarfraz Ahmed, it will be an honour to play a part in Ireland's maiden foray into Test cricket and that Pakistan are ready to compete hard in unfamiliar conditions.

"I think it's a great achievement for Ireland cricket and their cricket board to play Test cricket," Sarfraz was quoted as saying by the ICC website on the eve of Ireland's debut Test, starting on Friday in Malahide.

"First of all, congratulations to my side and to Ireland on behalf of the Pakistan team as well. It is a big honour for me and my team to play the historic Test match. We're ready to play this historic tie and it will be a great one."

The Pakistan captain hopes that the magnitude of the occasion would help boost cricket in Ireland and make it a mass sport. It's the first Test match in Ireland and everybody will definitely be watching it," he said.

"I think after this Test match, more cricketers will come to play and kids will also come forward to play as well."

William Porterfield will lead Ireland in their inaugural Test, thinking of all those that have helped make the historic five-day contest a reality. "There has been a lot of banging the drum," the Ireland captain said.

"It's going to be a pretty special occasion for the XI that are lucky enough to take the park tomorrow. Everyone who ever worn the jersey and done things behind the scenes and devoted their lives to it deserve a lot of credit for what's going to happen on Friday."

Coming back to Pakistan, they played two tour matches - against Kent and Northamptonshire - ahead of the Test. Against Kent, Pakistan struggled in cold and overcast conditions, but they fared much better in the second game, sealing a nine-wicket win.

Sarfraz said that Pakistan would field the same XI that beat Northamptonshire, meaning Test debuts for Imam-ul-Haq and Faheem Ashraf. "In the first match against Kent, they both played together (openers Imam and Azhar Ali).

"We were seeing who was playing well. The whole team management has seen that Imam batted well. He scored two fifties in the practice matches, that's why we are going with him."

On Shadab Khan, who is touring as Pakistan's frontline spinner despite little first-class experience as replacement for the injured Yasir Shah, Sarfraz was effusive in his praise.