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| November 12, 2005 | Saturday | Shawwal 9, 1426 |
Toss likely to play important role in first Test: Hasan, Shoaib Akhtar in
MULTAN, Nov 11: Pakistan head into the first Test of the much-awaited three-match series against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday with their confidence unexpectedly high and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and batsman Hasan Raza returning to the fold after a long absence from international cricket.
England’s preparations for the first real examination of the 58-day tour have been disrupted by the unfortunate loss of their inspirational Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, now nursing a damaged cartilage to his wobbly right knee while pondering over his immediate future as he awaits further medical assessments.
With the reins of captaincy entrusted upon broad shoulders of Marcus Trescothick, England definitely have their work cut-out and options drastically reduced as they contemplate facing a rejuvenated Pakistan side with probably their least experienced batting line-up for sometime exactly two months after Vaughan held afloat the coveted urn on a balmy evening at The Oval on Sept 12.
Apart from Vaughan’s tactical shrewdness as a leader that has provided his side five successive series victories before this tour, England will surely miss his presence at the No 3 slot.
Vaughan’s 4513 runs in 62 Tests make contrast reading when compared to Ian Bell (468 runs in eight matches) and Paul Collingwood (106 in three).
Now England are forced to have Bell and Collingwood sandwiching Kevin Pietersen (473 runs in five Ashes Tests) in the middle-order that is looking extremely thin and brittle.
Pietersen himself has hardly made any run on this trip and is lacking confidence at the moment on the slow, low-bounce tracks here.
Pietersen, the big-hitting South African-born right-hander, was an instant success against Australia in his debut series and was chiefly responsible for ensuring England retain the Ashes with a maiden century (158) after being dropped on 0 and 15 on the final day of the series at the Oval.
The fortune of the English batting rests with the now established opening partnership of Trescothick and his left-handed partner Andrew Strauss and of course, the redoubtable Andrew Flintoff who has emerged as the finest all-round cricketer on current world stage after his stupendous contributions to England’s cause against Australia in the summer.
Flintoff is the key man in the coming series and if the Lancastrian fails to perform or looks below his best, England should fear the worst.
The big all-rounder took no part in England’s triumphant series win here in 2000.
A genuine match-winner, Flintoff faces probably the biggest challenge to his newfound status. With only Trescothick and Ashley Giles, the slow left-armer who played a pivotal part five years ago, the only men with previous Test experience of playing in Pakistan, England must be wishing that Graham Thorpe had not retired, as he did earlier this year, to give provide a calming influence to the batting novices in the current side.
The left-hander was the figure around whom England built their side which won the first series for 39 years in Pakistan.
England are likely to hand 36-year-old off-spinner Shaun Udal his first Test cap to compliment Giles and the three seamers (Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison and Flintoff) in a five-man attack.
Despite England’s indifferent beginning to the tour, the home side is not taking anything for granted as Bob Woolmer strives for his first Test series victory as Pakistan coach.
Shoaib Akhtar’s comeback after missing the tours to India and the West Indies for different reasons reunites the 30-year-old with his pace partners Mohammad Sami and Shabbir Ahmed.
The trio will take the field together for the first time since they played against India on this same ground in March 2004.
Leg spinner Danish Kaneria, as widely expected, retains his place as the only specialist spinner while Mushtaq Ahmed’s first comeback in two years has been on hold at least for this game.
Hasan Raza makes a worthy comeback to the middle-order after a three-year absence from big-time cricket on the strength of consistent run-making, including eight hundreds, for Pakistan ‘A’ during the period.
The unfortunate man to make way for Hasan’s sixth Test appearance is the left-handed Asim Kamal, who had been looking out of sorts recently.
Otherwise the middle-order have the familiar faces of Younis Khan, Inzamamul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, who plays his first international match after having represented Pakistan in 59 Tests and 202 One-day Internationals under his Christian name Yousuf Youhana.
Like Asim, flambouyant allrounder Shahid Afridi too failed to get the nod of the team management.
It is the first time a senior England side is playing in this old city of saints and shrines.
Overall, this is the 61st meeting between these teams in Tests. The surface of the pitch remains same as it was on Thursday evening, looking firm and expected to become drier as the match progresses.
The toss, as always, is going to be the key and with the start as early as 9.30am in hazy sunshine, the captain lucky with the call may be influenced to field first and take whatever advantages that might be there for the bowlers.
Otherwise, the experts here say win the toss and pile up a total in the vicinity of 450-500 and put the other side under pressure with spinners coming into play.
Teams:
PAKISTAN: Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Inzamamul Haq (captain), Mohammad Yousuf, Hasan Raza, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria.
ENGLAND (probable): Marcus Trescothick (captain), Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wicket-keeper), Ashley Giles, Shaun Udal, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison.
Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Simon Taufel (Australia).
TV umpire: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).
Reserve umpire: Siddique Khan (Pakistan).
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka).
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