St. John's - Admitting that their biggest drawing card is in bad shape, Pakistan are facing the reality that they will have to make do without one of the game's most exciting fast bowlers for the entire ongoing triangular limited-overs series.

Shoaib Akhtar, the 24-year-old 'Rawalpindi Express' who had tongues wagging during last summer's World Cup, has hardly even had a serious net session since arriving here last Sunday.

Shoaib is incapacitated with a groin injury he sustained during the Sharjah Champions Trophy a little over a week ago, and team coach Javed Miandad said it would be unwise to risk him for the remaining One-Day matches.

'He is still in bad shape. He's recovering. We are thinking that he will be all right for the Test series and I think the Test series is more important than the triangular,' Javed said after Pakistan's opening match against Zimbabwe at the Antigua Recreation Ground Wednesday.

'We just brought him here to relax, to look after his own self and try and get 100 per cent for the Test series.

'I don't want to take a chance on this because we have many other bowlers who can get a chance. I think it is good for the youngsters to come and play.'

If Pakistan advance to the finals, as seems certain, they will play a maximum of seven One-Day Internationals before meeting the West Indies in the first of three Tests starting on May 5.

In the absence of Shoaib and champion pacer Wasim Akram, who is due in the Caribbean next week after leading an Asian XI against a Rest Of The World XI in Dhaka tomorrow, one of Pakistan's finest bowlers in the early 1990s, Waqar Younis, was given the responsibility to spearhead the attack on Wednesday. Only 28, Younis is no longer the devastating fast bowler he was when he came here in 1993, but he seems to have overcome injuries that affected him in recent years.

'I have full confidence in him. He has so much experience and he is still there,' Javed said.

'He knows who is coming, how to bowl and he is our key bowler. He bowled magnificently in previous matches.'

In looking ahead to their showdown against the West Indies, Javed said he expected a keen battle.

'We haven't played against them yet. They have also got a new team,' he said.

'They are doing well, their morale is high, but let's see how we go against them. It is going to be a good battle because at the moment we have not got our top players, but they will join us later.'

In addition to Wasim, who is to have a check-up on his diabetic problem, Pakistan also hope to have the recuperating Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood.