KARACHI, Nov 11: Defending champions Sindh face uphill task to stay in running for the RBS Pentangular Cup final when they take on leaders NWFP in a fourth-round fixture at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar from Wednesday.

Sindh head into their final league match with just six points, which were obtained after they took first innings lead against Federal Areas and Punjab. The champions suffered an embarrassing six-wicket defeat against Balochistan in the other game and must beat NWFP to revive their slim hopes of reaching the final.

Sindh will have Faisal Iqbal and Anwar Ali back in the side after the duo represented Pakistan in the Super Sixes series in Hong Kong at the weekend. But Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has again ruled himself out since he is still recuperating from a hand surgery sustained while he was playing for Essex in the English County Championship a couple of months ago.

NWFP, meanwhile, are almost guaranteed a place in the Nov 24-28 final in Lahore after chalking up comprehensive victories over Balochistan and Federal Areas in the two matches they have played so far.

Punjab, currently bottom of the five-team standings with no points, face a resurgent Balochistan side at the Gaddafi Stadium. In the absence of regular skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who is in Abu Dhabi with the national side, Saeed bin Nasir has been appointed captain of the Balochistan team.