Pakistan v Sri Lanka: Crucial encounter in fight for survival

As the second part of the double-league in this inaugural Morocco Cup 2002 commences here, things are intriguingly poised. While Pakistan take on Sri Lanka, looking for a win in both remaining encounters, the Sri Lankans have the edge with Pakistan and South Africa more or less at level pegging.

Sri Lanka's victory over South Africa, by a margin wide enough to land them a bonus point, has set the cat among the pigeons, making the position of Pakistan and South Africa pretty precarious. Sri Lanka only need to win one more match to qualify for the final.

That is why the encounter between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is now of crucial importance to Pakistan. They have to keep winning to stay in the hunt for the final. Though technically they would still remain alive even after their encounter with South Africa on Sunday, they would have to wait for the result of the last league game, between Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Of course, if Pakistan win both their remaining matches, they would not have to go through that agonising wait. There are too many combinations and permutations to be discussed. The fact is that the issue of which two sides go to the final is likely to hang in the balance till the very last game.

There are a few things going for Pakistan. They take on Sri Lanka on the pitch to the right of the main pavilion. It doesn't offer the same prodigious spin to the Sri Lankan spinners that made them such a handful against South Africa. And then Pakistan meet South Africa on the pitch where the latter were mauled so badly - bowled out for a mere 174 as Chandana, Muralitharan and Jayasuriya ran riot in conditions helping slow bowlers.

This makes both the Sri Lankans and the South Africans a bit uneasy, but it is the throw of the dice and not by design. The character of the newly-laid pitches was a surprise even for the organisers. Another absorbing twist is that by the time of the final, the pitch on the right should be worn enough to afford similar purchase to the spinners.

With Sri Lanka now in front, needing just one win from their two remaining games to make it to the final, this factor has added to the worries of Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar.

Mudassar is concerned about the balance of the Pakistan team. Saqlain Mushtaq went for 80 runs in his 10 overs in the loss against South Africa, Shoaib Malik has not yet been given an outing, and Shahid Afridi has been sent down the order, where he is not the same force, to give Saeed Anwar a decent run to re-establish his credentials. This has meant that Waqar Younis has only five bowlers at his disposal, with no fallback should one of them get a beating or an injury.

Mudassar admits that he has no simple answers. "In my playing days, we never played without six bowlers", he said, reminding me that he used to finish his quota of 10 overs before the regular bowlers. But Anwar has now got the runs, and he is "our best player against the spinners."

Shahid Afridi is a misfit down the order. Muralitharan, who got him cheaply the other day, relishes bowling to him. Afridi is not sure of his feet against the spinners, while he plays the seamers well at top of the order. Since the management doesn't want to drop Saeed Anwar, they could rest young Imran Nazir and Mohammad Sami, send Afridi up the order, and include Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Malik.

It would be cruel to sit Nazir and Sami out, for they are immensely talented and ones for the future. But this would give the side a three-pronged pace and seam attack (Waqar, Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq), and three spinners (Saqlain, Malik, Afridi). With plenty of all-rounders, it would not disturb the balance in the batting.

But for the opening encounter of the double league, Mudassar would not have changed the winning combination against Sri Lanka. Against South Africa, a couple of changes would give the bowling more teeth.

As far as the Sri Lankans are concerned, changes are less likely now that they have a good win behind them. They have got their eleven right, and it has gelled well to lead them to a famous comeback. With all teams feeling insecure and fighting for survival, some highly competitive cricket is on the cards.