England take on the Governor's XI today

Peshawar, Nov 7: England take on the NWFP Governor's Eleven in the four-day match at the Arbab Niaz Stadium from tomorrow (Wednesday).

The match will serve as the final competitive game before the first Test that starts in Lahore from Nov 15. England won the first fourdayer against the Patron's Eleven by an innings and 27 last week.

Former captain Stewart returns to the national duty for the first time after being accused in a CBI report of accepting 5,000 pounds sterling for passing on pitch, weather and team composition information on the 1992-93 tour of India.

England captain Nasser Hussain, who also returns after skipping the Rawalpindi match, said Stewart was in proper frame of mind and was eagerly looking forward to the game.

"He had a very tough last week. But being a senior pro, I am sure he knows the importance of this tour and his role.

"Cricket for Alec (Stewart) comes first and he is very much focused on the pre-Test game. He had a nice trip to Khyber Pass (on Monday) and now looks fresh and composed," Hussain told a press briefing.

Stewart, who has avoided the media since the CBI report was made public, is the second most experienced player in the England ranks after Michael Atherton. He has aggregated 6,868 runs at 40.40 with 14 centuries and 35 half centuries. Stewart's availability gives Hussain an option to play with an additional bowler or a batsman as the Surrey player keeps the wickets as good as any top class wicket-keeper.

Duncan Fletcher, the former Zimbabwe captain and now England coach, however, said Stewart's mental strength and body language will have to be carefully seen before it is decided whether to play him in the first Test.

Stewart, one of the few friendly personalities in the tourists side, has apparently not shown any signs of mental strain as he obliged the cricket fans with autographs and photographs here like he did in Rawalpindi.

Besides Stewart and Hussain, England have named a frontline pace attack of Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick. But the England skipper refused to commit if it was a likely squad for the first Test.

"We are looking to play a team here which may play the first Test. I think it is most sensible thing to do before the Lahore Test. But we are going with our options open.

"We play horses for courses. There is no point of being rigid and keep chopping and changing the team," he said with reference to the exclusion of Matthew Hoggard who took nine for 104 at Rawalpindi.

England have retained the spin duo of Ashley Giles and Ian Salisbury. But both the slow bowlers will have to come up with something special in this game if they have to cement their places for next week's big match. They have a tough task in hand as the wicket has a green top and looks favourable to the seamers.

The NWFP Governor's Eleven, being led by former captain Rashid Latif, appears a more formidable and balanced one as compared the Patron's Eleven. It comprise four Test players - Rashid, Wajahatullah Wasti, Kabir Khan and Mohammad Hussain - and Akhtar Sarfaraz who has represented Pakistan in one-day internationals.

Akhtar, like Karachi's Naumanullah, is a last-minute inclusion.

In addition to these players, the squad comprises some outstanding cricketers in left-handed Taufiq Umer, opener Taimoor Khan, Yasir Hameed and paceman Sajid Shah who was in the provisional 19-man squad for last year's World Cup.

However, the only big name missing from the squad named two weeks back is of Younis Khan, the middle-order local batsman. Younis pulled out at the last minute to nurse his ailing mother.

Younis was also unfortunate not to be named in the 18-man first Test probables despite scoring two centuries in his seven Tests. After a lacklustre Test series in the West Indies earlier this year, Younis had returned to form in Sri Lanka and played some exciting innings. On the face of it, it appears that the selectors considered his poor oneday form while picking the team for the Test match.

Rashid Latif said although none of the players named for the first Test will be appearing in the four-dayer, this game was very significant for the players knocking at the door of international cricket.

"Anyone with a century or a big score or few wickets will certainly catch the eyes of the selectors. It is an important match for the upand-coming players and they should take it (match) as a life time opportunity," Rashid said.

The Governor's Eleven will be named before the toss.

Teams:

England - Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Nasser Hussain (captain), Graham Thorpe, Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Graeme Hick, Ashely Giles, Ian Salisbury, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick.

NWFP Governor's Eleven (from) - Rashid Latif (captain), Wajahatullah Wasti, Taimoor Khan, Taufiq Umer, Yasir Hameed, Naumanullah, Mohammad Hussain, Imran Farhat, Sajid Shah, Kashif Raza, Kabir Khan and Akhtar Sarfaraz.

Umpires - Sajid Asghar and Iqbal Butt.