Miscellaneous

Pakistan to face West Indies in opening Test today

Georgetown (Guyana), May 4: Pakistan will be aiming to fulfil their long-awaited dream of winning their first ever series in the Caribbean with the start of the opening Test against the West Indies tomorrow (Friday) here at the Bourda ground

Qamar Ahmed
05-May-2000
Georgetown (Guyana), May 4: Pakistan will be aiming to fulfil their long-awaited dream of winning their first ever series in the Caribbean with the start of the opening Test against the West Indies tomorrow (Friday) here at the Bourda ground.
Pakistan are optimistic about their chances in the three-match Test series after their recent triumph in the triangular one-day tournament and a victory against the West Indies Under-23s in a four-day game.
The psychological edge is with Pakistan and now it is up to their side to play at their best and strike the first blow. In the last Test series played between the two teams, Pakistan cantered to a clean sweep in a three-match rubber in 1997-98 under the captaincy of Wasim Akram against the West Indian side led by Courtney Walsh.
Things would be not that easy in the Caribbean as one would think taking into consideration the recent results of the West Indies team.
They were beaten 5-0 in the Test series in South Africa last season and in New Zealand earlier this season they were completely outplayed losing not only the Test series but also the one-dayers as well. Their wins in two Tests in a row against Zimbabwe recently and a number of success in the one-day series has certainly provided them with certain amount of confidence which they badly needed under a new captain Jimmy Adams.
Pakistan's track record in th West Indies is not as impressive and indomitable as at home against them. In 16 Tests, the West Indies had eight victories and Pakistan only won a Test on three occasions and five matches had ended in draws.
The nearest that Pakistan came to winning a series here was in 1987-88 when after losing five one-day matches in a row they were able to win the first Test at Bourda under Imran Khan within four days by a huge margin of nine wickets with the help of the first ever Test century against West Indies by Javed Miandad and Imran's 11 wickets for 121.
Miandad made another century in the second Test at Port-of-Spain and very nearly carried Pakistan to the target of 372. His exit at a crucial juncture tilted the balance in favour of the West Indies but Pakistan managed to draw the match with nine wickets down.
In the final Test at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Pakistan, on the verge of winning the Test and the series, were deprived by umpire David Archer who gave Jeffrey Dujon not out when he was clearly caught off leg-spinner Abdul Qadir with West Indies needing 64 runs to win with just two wickets in hand. They knocked off the required runs with Dujon and Winston Benjamin at the crease to level the series.
On their last tour in 1992-93, Pakistan lost the first two Tests before earning a draw at St John's with Inzamam-ul-Haq making his maiden Test hundred.
Inzamam is back again with the current squad and is in great form. A lot is expected of him. He has been consistent and in the absence of Saeed Anwar, the big right-hander has carried the batting virtually single-handed on his broad shoulders.
Inconsistent as Pakistan's batting is, they surely will have to strengthen it with whatever resources they have at their disposal at the moment.
Mohammad Wasim, who has made two fifties on this tour, is likely to open with Wajahatullah Wasti. The rest of batting will revolve around Younis Khan, Inzamam, Yousuf Youhana, captain Moin Khan and Wasim Akram.
Young all-rounder Abdur Razzaq, who strained his thigh on Monday, is likely to pass the fitness test on the morning of the match. His inclusion in the playing XI will be a big bonus for th tourists.
Pakistan's bowling is their strength. With Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed in the side, West Indies will be hard pressed.
The West Indies have named a squad of 14 players which includes Test record holder, Walsh, and also the Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who after a layoff scored 156 in Jamaica's Senior Cup match last Sunday.
Also in the squad are leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and young batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, both of Indian descent and Guyanese. Sarwan is talked in terms as the future Rohan Kanhai. He scored a century in each innings of a first-class game against Zimbabwe recently and has score heavily in the Busta Cup.
Nagamootoo along with Walsh was the highest wicket-taker (31) in the Busta Cup domestic matches. Whether Sarwan or Nagamootoo makes the team will depend on how West Indian skipper Jimmy Adams reads the Bourda wicket.
It seems that the two uncapped players along with fast bowler Nixon McLean will be left out.
Adams is pretty optimistic about his team beating Pakistan here. "We have a good chance to win the series against Pakistan, the boys are confident and playing well."
His Pakistani counterpart, Moin Khan, is as much confident. "We are playing positive cricket. Our bowling is our strength and if our batsmen play to their full potential we could win the series."
Teams (from):
Pakistan: Moin Khan (captain), Mohammad Wasim, Wajahatullah Wasti, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Akram and Shahid Afridi.
West Indies: Jimmy Adams (captain), Adrian Griffith, Sherwin Campbell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Ridley Jacobs, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Reon King, Franklyn Rose, Nixon McLean and Mahendra Nagamootoo. Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa). Match referee: Peter Burge (Australia)