It is given that Australia will be in the final of the tri-series and on present form will win it without too much effort. The other finalist will be either the West Indies or Pakistan, both mercurial sides.

Who on their day can be brilliant and on their off-day can be terrible. Both teams claim to be in the re-building process, a process that seems to be taking an unusually long time. Pakistan has one additional disadvantage.

The team for the tri-series has been further depleted with the news that Shoaib Akhtar is returning home. Pakistan is already without Danesh Kaneria and Mohammad Sami.

Kaneria was sent home because the team management felt that he needed to be rested for the India tour. It is an argument with which I don't agree for in the one-day game a bowler is required to bowl only ten overs at the maximum. Mohammad Sami was unfit with some injury to his heel.

Adding to Pakistan's woes is that Shoaib Malik is being played as a batsman and Abdul Hafeez who is a specialist-opening batsman is bowling off-spin and his bowling action has been reported.

It certainly has been a difficult tour for Pakistan but it had been difficult for India, Sri Lanka and, of course, Bangladesh. But all three teams came back from Australia battle-hardened.

Whether we will be able to say the same for Pakistan is hard to say. Against Australia at Sydney, Pakistan looked reconciled to its fate and probably seemed glad that the match was over.

There was a good innings from Inzamam, he's beginning to find his batting form and a typical Shahid Afridi cameo but no one else seemed to be in the game. Pakistan not only lost the match but also conceded a bonus point.

Pakistan must try and get into a positive frame of mind for the remaining of the matches. It has an extremely important tour coming up and must go to India looking to win.

In terms of results in the Test matches, the tour has been a bit of a disaster. But we need to look at the tour as a whole. Pakistan has found some young players who could become the core of an exciting team and if properly handled, they could serve Pakistan with distinction for many years.

Salman Butt, Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Kamran Akmal and I would include Shahid Afridi in this lot even though he has been around for a few years. Shahid Afridi is now batting in the right position, perhaps he can be raised a notch but it is his bowling that has improved. Shahid Afridi had always been judged as a batsman who could be called upon to turn his arm over and bowl a few overs.

Obviously he has worked hard at his bowling and has become a wicket taker. These young players need self-belief and they need the encouragement that their place in the team is assured and won't be sent packing if they should fail a few times.

I am all for making changes in the team but one at a time and only if we are convinced that the replacement is an improvement. We must not get demoralized by the results in Australia so far.

I have often felt that tabloid journalism reflects the cultural values of its readers, which is why tabloid newspapers have higher circulation than the broad sheets. The story in the Sun Herald is a typical example of sensationalism as also cowardice.

The Sun Herald has alleged that one of the Pakistan players raped a woman in a Melbourne hotel during the Boxing Day Test. That Test was played about a month ago and may not be time barred in the legal sense but is so as far as news is concerned. The woman concerned has not filed a complaint. To me this is the height of irresponsible journalism.

However, one is not entirely surprised as character assassination of celebrities is quite a fashionable thing and is quite a lucrative industry. As many crimes are committed in the name of liberty are committed in the name of a free press.

The story smacks of a set-up and there are undertones of blackmail. The Pakistan team can be criticized for playing bad cricket but from my experience has never been a bad ambassador. I doubt if the Sun Herald will apologize but the team management should leave stone unturned to wipe the slur clean.

There is a limit to Pak-bashing. What has the reporter of the Sun Herald been doing for a month? The time-delay strips the story of all credibility. The lack of a formal complaint smacks of collusion and brings into play the element of a shake-down.

I certainly hope that the cricket public in Pakistan will see the story for what it appears to be a load of rubbish and hope too that the PCB will explore every avenue of not only legal action but claiming damages.

I am delighted for Bangladesh that it has finally been able to win a Test match even though it was against Zimbabwe and won the series. I was worried for a time that the cricket fans in Bangladesh may lose heart.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, has yet to recover from its main players, all white, having gone on strike. But a series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe has the virtue of a contest between equals and thus makes for good cricket though it is not of test standard-as yet.