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)