January 26, 2007	Friday	Muharram 06, 1428

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CAPE TOWN, Jan 25: Pakistan will be forced to make a few changes for the third Test against South Africa starting today after injured fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul returned home earlier in the week.

Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq on Thursday said his team was looking at several options for the deciding game which promises to be a cracker-jack of a contest. “There will be at least two changes and maybe a change in the top order,” he told reporters.

“Shahid Nazir is bowling better in the nets, and Naved-ul-Hasan is also doing well,” he added, referring to the fast bowlers. And with all-rounder Shoaib Malik also reporting fit, there’s an outside chance that he may replace a struggling Yasir Hameed for the crucial game.

Inzamam said that the game was a very important one for them. "It will be a great achievement to win this Test and win the series. We have never won a series in South Africa, but we know that it is an important match for both teams, so it is going to be a tough match.".

Hosts South Africa will also be making three changes in the enforced absence of Herschelle Gibbs and a tiring Shaun Pollock while fast bowler Andre Nel will sit out the game due to a bruised heel.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected on Thursday an appeal by Gibbs against a two-test ban imposed on him for abusing Pakistani supporters in the first test in Centurion. Gibbs will now sit out the Cape Town Test as well as a Twenty20 game and the first one-dayer against Pakistan.

South African captain Graeme Smith said all rounder Pollock and pacer Nel would be rested and replaced by all rounder Andrew Hall and fast bowler Dale Steyn.

The absence of Gibbs means a reprieve for out of form opener AB de Villiers, who will now bat at number six. Boeta Dippenaar has been recalled and will open the innings with Smith.

“Shaun's already gone home (to Durban), and Andre is also going to miss out,” Smith told a news conference.

Smith said even Makhaya Ntini was also very tired, but they cannot afford to lose their whole pace attack at once. “Ntini has been an integral part and he is going to be an integral part of this game but will to manage him in the one-day series.”

Smith hoped the younger batsmen would shape up in the absence of Gibbs.

“There are a lot of young guys in our top six, and losing Herschelle means losing 84 Test matches worth of experience.

“It's disappointing, but we've got to put our heads down and go. Some of the other guys need to take some responsibility.”

South Africa won the first Test by seven wickets before Pakistan levelled the series by winning the second test in Port Elizabeth by five wickets.

Squads:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Paul Adams, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, AB de Villiers, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.

Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Asim Kamal, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Yousuf, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Nazir, Umar Gul, Yasir Hameed, Zulqarnain Haider.