April 17, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1428

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LONDON, April 16: Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood seemed relieved to have left the tumult of the West Indies behind him as he looked forward to playing another season for Surrey in the English County Championship, which gets underway on Wednesday.

After his country's humiliating early exit from the World Cup and the tragedy of coach Bob Woolmer's murder, Azhar was eager to get back to county cricket.

The all-rounder played an important part in the southern county winning the Division 2 title last summer – and with it promotion back to the top division after a one-year absence – and before the start of his sixth consecutive season at The Oval in south London he speaks with cautious optimism about trying to take the famous club back to the pinnacle of the English domestic game.

“I'm very positive – I love playing cricket and Surrey is like my second home,” Azhar said. “We are now playing in the first division again and with our new stand here at The Oval and young players like Neil Saker, James Benning and Jade Dernbach coming through the ranks, we believe we can win things.”

The 32-year-old from Rawalpindi believes this fresh blood at the club is central to their ambitions although he acknowledges replacing the respected players who have left the club over the past few years will take time.

“Alec Stewart, Ben and Adam Hollioake and Graham Thorpe are not here anymore,” Azhar says.

“We have young guys coming up to fill their places but no one can immediately become a great bowler or batsman.

“Everyone has to have time – they have been at Surrey for the last two or three years so hopefully they will now do well for Surrey and eventually play for England.”

The Brown Caps will be hoping for another season of blistering run-scoring from evergreen batsman Mark Ramprakash, who scored well over 2,000 runs last season at an average of over 100 and was recently named one on Wisden's five cricketers of the year.Azhar is one of three overseas players who are expected to represent Surrey this summer, the others being Western Australian fast bowlers Matthew Nicholson and Steve Magoffin, and the Pakistani focuses on other foreign imports while assessing Surrey's main rivals for the Championship pennant.

“Sussex have an excellent side with Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan,” Azhar said, referring to the southern county's lethal pair of Pakistani bowlers whose wickets helped the county become champions last year.

“Kent have Yasir Arafat who plays for Pakistan and Andrew Hall, who plays for South Africa, while Lancashire and Hampshire are also strong.”

Surrey open their campaign against visitors Yorkshire, and Azhar does not underestimate them either with his esteemed compatriot Younis Khan in their ranks along with former England fast bowler Darren Gough, who has returned to his former club as captain after a three-year stint at Essex.

Lancashire's threat will be spearheaded by the return of magical Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to their ranks while the Old Trafford-based club will also be able to draw on the powerful batting talents of Australia batsmen Brad Hodge.

The Red Rose county will, however, have to deal without their battery of England fast bowlers Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood who will spend large swathes of the summer months competing for England in Test and one-day series against the West Indies and India.

Hampshire cannot be discounted either, captained as they will be led by the legendary Shane Warne who will have fellow Ashes hero Stuart Clark to throw the new ball to, while West Midlands side Warwickshire, could provide a challenge with the experienced Zimbabwean seamer Heath Streak at the helm along with the batting of Sri Lanka wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara.

In Division 2, former Australian opening batsmen Justin Langer will attempt to lead a revival at Somerset, who finished bottom last season, and will look to beefy opener Marcus Trescothick to overcome a stress-related illness which has had a damaging effect on his international career over the last 12 months.

While the County Championship begins on Wednesday, cricket fans across the country also look to the Friends Provident Trophy, a four-month long, 50-over a side competition starting on April 22, for more explosive entertainment, while the fireworks of Twenty20 cricket are set to return on June 22 and a two-month long Pro40 one-day competition kicks off on July 13.—AFP