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| October 31, 2005 | Monday | Ramzan 26, 1426 |
England open tour today with three-day tie
ISLAMABAD, Oct 30: England set their Pakistan tour in motion in earnest on Monday with a three-day game against a Patron’s side at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Each team is to play 14 players after a request put up earlier by the touring party which arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Coach Duncan Fletcher told journalists that he would like to see all 14 players take part at some stage.
“But we have to use our heads a little bit and see how the game progresses, it is really a practice match.”
While the Englishmen continued to have nets at the match venue for the fourth day in succession, the Patron’s XI led by Misbahul Haq had their solitary practice session in the morning.
Fletcher said that he was pleased with his team’s preparations.
“The guys got in and showed intensity over the last few days and the preparations have been very good.”
The match provides the tourists an opportunity to test their batting skills against the leg spin of Imran Tahir before the serious business of Test cricket begins with the visitors having to cope with leggies Danish Kaneria and Mushtaq Ahmed.
The Patron’s have brought in off spinner Tahir Khan and opener Khalid Latif in place of Arshad Khan and Muhammad Asif who had initially been named on the team.
The match holds immense importance for some of the players like Bazid Khan, Yasir Arafat and Faisal Iqbal who will have a point or two to prove. Asim Kamal too has to return to form quickly.
The three-day match is the first of two the visitors will play before the first Test that begins in Multan from Nov 12. And Fletcher is wary of Pakistan’s potential.
“They are always talented and we believe and know that there will be some talented cricketers playing against us.”
He conceded that it would be difficult to beat Pakistan in Pakistan.
“It is going to be a tough tour...all of them away from home are very difficult. We won at home and now we have to back up what we did in the summer.”
England toppled Australia to win the Ashes for the first time in 18 years in a remarkable effort and Fletcher said that victory would never be out of the team system.
“It is good to use it as an advantage...we have to just make sure that we can manage it.”
He pointed out that it certainly gave confidence and self belief that they could mix up with the best and Pakistan were as good as any side.
“We are confident that we can mix up with them.”
Fletcher praised Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.
“He is a quality coach, we have discussed cricket together and have similar ideas. We discussed many aspects of the game and probably know each other’s thought pattern to some degree.”
Both once coached the league sides in Cape Town.
On this tour that involves three Tests and five One-day Internationals, England will be seeking inspiration from Nasser Hussain’s team of 2000-01 that won a Test series 1-0 in Pakistan.
“From our point of view we will try and win every Test match although it doesn’t come out that way but we want to start winning from the first Test and take it from there.”
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