25 January 2004	Sunday	02 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 24: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), led by Test wicket-keeper Moin Khan, are hot favourites to retain their national one-day title when they meet Habib Bank in a star-studded PCB Patron's Cup final at National Stadium on Sunday.

PIA, the defending champions, have been considerably strengthened by the availability of Moin, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul. The quintet, who returned a couple of days from Pakistan's tour of New Zealand, had to miss the league phase of the National One-day Patron's Cup.

Habib Bank are also delighted to have the services of Younis Khan, Saleem Elahi and Danish Kaneria after the conclusion of the New Zealand tour.

Both these great rivals have been one-day champions on the domestic front 10 times each going into Sunday's final.

Last season, PIA emerged champions when Moin Khan led his side to a 55-run victory over Wapda in the NBP Patron's Cup final at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

PIA had the distinction of winning the first limited-overs championships at the national level which was contested way back in 1974-75 when the national carrier - captained by then Pakistan skipper Intikhab Alam - clinched the Servis Cup by defeating Pakistan Universities in the final at Lahore.

Habib Bank, on the other hand, claimed their first one-day title in 1983-84 when they dethroned PIA in the popular but now erstwhile Wills Cup.

PIA, in fact, won that tournament six times, including the inaugural edition in 1980-81, and went on to complete a unique hat trick of championships. The bankers also won the same trophy on six occasions and emulated their counterparts by winning in three successive seasons (from 1989-90 to 1991-92).

The bankers last captured the one-day trophy in 2000-01 when they won the tournament in a season when two separate limited-overs events were held for departments and associations.

As the old foes clash against each other for the fifth time in a one-day final since 1982-83, their duel will be further put to test because Imran Farhat, the swashbuckling left-handed Test opener, takes the field against his former employers Habib Bank.

The 50-over per side fixture gets under way at 9.30am with the winners taking Rs100,000 with half of that amount going to the unlucky losers.

Teams (from):

PIA: Moin Khan (captain), Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Ghulam Ali, Kamran Sajid, Bazid Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq, Umar Gul, Fazle Akbar, Najaf Shah, Mahmood Hamid, Ahmed Zeeshan Malik.

Habib Bank: Akram Raza (captain), Taufiq Umar, Riffatullahh, Saleem Elahi, Younis Khan, Hasan Raza, Atiq-uz-Zaman, Abdul Rehman, Sajid Shah, Kabir Khan, Danish Kaneria, Asadullah Butt, Waqas Chughtai, Bilal Azmat.

Umpires: Islam Khan and Asad Rauf.

Match referee: Anwar Khan.