KARACHI, Dec 31: Pakistan cricket team manager Yawar Saeed Monday said he looks forward for a controversy-free tour of Bangladesh, and hopes that express pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s bowling action is not challenged during the tour.

“I am looking at a controversy-free tour of Bangladesh, and hope that Akhtar does not face any bowling action problems during the tour,” Saeed told reporters at the National Stadium training camp in the southern port city of Karachi.

Pakistan will fly to Bangladesh Wednesday to play two Tests and three one-day internationals on a tour that could be badly hit if Akhtar is again reported for suspected bowling action.

The pacer’s bowling action is under scrutiny of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Akhtar’s position at present is that stage two has been finished and the PCB has informed the ICC that the medical report has cleared him and no one can improve his action because he has an innate problem,” he said.

The manager said Akhtar has the full support of the PCB and the team.

When asked about any special instructions how to deal with the situation if Akhtar’s bowling action controversy again erupted, he replied: “The management’s job is to make players pressure-free and we would want Akhtar to play freely and if anything happens we will decide what to do on the spot.”

On relations between the two countries, he said: “Relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh governments are very good. Pakistan and Bangladesh board’s have given assurances to each other that there would be no untoward incident.”

“We are going with open mind and heart, just to play cricket,” he said.

MUDASSAR: Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar Monday said anything less than a clean sweep in Bangladesh would be disappointing for his star-studded team.

“Yes, anything less than that would be disappointing because Pakistan is a superior team and we must win 2-0 in Bangladesh,” Nazar told reporters on the sidelines of a training camp under way in the southern port city of Karachi.

Nazar said his side has shrugged inactivity and would settle down with every match.

“Pakistan has not played for several months and we have only played at the Sharjah and one Test against Bangladesh, but we feel that the tour should be easy,” the former Test opener said.

“But we have taken this tour seriously as we do for other tours, because our defeat against Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup is not erased from the memories of the people and the team,” he said.

Pakistan faces world’s top two teams — Australia and South Africa — in 2002.

“I strongly believe that if there is any team in the world who could beat Australia and stop their winning streak, it’s Pakistan. I had always thought that South Africa would struggle in Australia because they do not have the bowling power like us,” he said.

The Pakistani coach agreed that pacer Shoaib Akhtar was under pressure over his bowling action controversy.

“Akhtar is naturally very apprehensive, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the team has given him complete support,” he said.

Nazar said that Akhtar bowled very fast during the camp. “I have never seen Akhtar bowl as fast as he did in the camp in the eastern border city of Lahore,” he said.—SADA