Fever Grinds 'Express' To Halt

Pakistan's cricketers have plenty to bother them two days prior to the second Test against the West Indies at Kensington Oval on Thursday.

Outwardly at least, captain Moin Khan is unconcerned.

Daily stories out of Pakistan indicate that Judge Mohammed Qayyum's long-awaited, soon-to-be-released report into match-fixing and bribery recommends stiff penalties, even extending to life bans, for two senior members on tour, former captain Wasim Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed.

Surely there must be some nervous members in the camp.

'We have been told by our board not to worry at all and to concentrate on our game,' Moin said. 'That is what we are doing, Our spirits are high and we are very confident.'

Of more immediate worry is the state of health of Shoaib Akhtar and the form of the young batsmen that led to a defeat snatched not so much from the jaws as the gullet of victory against the West Indies 'A' on Monday.

Moin is philosophical about both.

Only just recovered from the groin injury that has limited him to one match on Pakistan's tour of the West Indies, Shaoib ' the lightning fast 'Rawalpindi Express' ' was put out of action again yesterday with fever.

While the remainder of the team practised at the Police grounds at Weymouth, he was confined to his bed at the team's hotel, Club Rockley.

But Moin would not rule him out of contention for the Test.

'He is fit again and had been practising very hard before he came down with the fever,' Moin said. 'Whether he will be available for the Test, it will be up to him. We'll see if he is better tomorrow and how he bowls at practice.'

The Pakistanis went down to an embarrassing defeat to the West Indies 'A' team, comprising young reserves, by 65 runs Monday in their last match before the Test. But Moin pointed out that the key players, Akram, Mushtaq, first innings century-maker Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdur Razzaq and himself were missing.

All would return for the second Test.

'Mohammed Wasim got a hundred and that would have lifted his confidence for the Test,' Moin said. 'Things will be different for the Test'.

The captain did admit he was concerned with the indifferent form of opening batsman Wajahatullah Wasti and said he was likely to be replaced by 18-year-old Imran Nazir.

Wasti was out for 8 in the rain-ruined, drawn first Test and has had scores of 26, 1, 19 and 5 in the two matches against the Under-23s and West Indies 'A'.