Kaneria makes debut as Wasim Akram plays his 100th Test

Faisalabad, Nov 28: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and Danish Kaneria will earn contrasting honours in the second cricket Test against England which starts here at the Iqbal Stadium from Wednesday.

Wasim will become the third Pakistani and 24th in the history of the game to complete century of Tests while Kaneria will become country's 163rd player to don the green Pakistan Test cap.

While the Pakistan cricket team has planned to honour Wasim shortly before the start of the match, there is no word as to what treatment Danish Prabhushankar Kaneria will get. Nevertheless, the established fact is the 19-year-old is expected to play a key role in Pakistan's prospects.

Kaneria, who steps in the shoes of Mushtaq Ahmad, is the lone wrist spinner alongside finger tweakers Saqlain Mushtaq and a recalled Arshad Khan in the squad which comprises just five specialist batsmen including an unreliable Shahid Afridi.

Saqlain picked up nine wickets in the drawn first Test at Lahore to prompt the team management to take the gamble of playing a spinning trio and five batsmen.

"The wicket looks better than the Lahore one. There seems to be enough for the spinners. I think (Danish) Kaneria will have to burdon a lot of bowling load," Pakistan captain Moin Khan said.

While the pugnacious wicketkeeper emphasised that he had complete faith on the talent and potential of Kaneria, he didn't mince words saying Wasim Akram also had a job to do.

"We would like to see him provide us early breakthroughs. He didn't do it in the first innings at Lahore but when he struck early in the second innings, we left England struggling," Moin said.

Wasim bowled just 22 overs out of 196 in England's 480 for eight declared. He then picked up one for one in England's 77 for four.

"As a strike bowler, I am expected to deliver the goods. I have given my best but this being my century Test, I will try to do it even better," Wasim Akram said.

Danish, who has taken 34 wickets in five Quaid-i-Azam Trophy innings, was modest but committed. "There can't be a greater moment in my life to play with my idols. To be alongside Wasim Akram when he is celebrating one of his numerous achievements is something I never dreamed of."

"But I know that I have replaced a seasoned bowler like Mushtaq Ahmad. I need to justify my talent and selection and the only way I can do this is by taking wickets. I am confident, though some butterflies are running in my stomach."

Pakistan have probably done the right thing by going in with five batsmen because Moin Khan, Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram are by no means rabbits with the bat. Moin and Wasim have Test centuries against their names. Besides, Saqlain Mushtaq has also cemented his reputation as being a big partnership batsman.

But if Moin Khan has taken the risk of his life, he would like to win the toss and avail the opportunity of batting first on the fresh pitch rather than chase the target.

"We thought to strengthen our spin department because if we have to capitalize on the opponents weakness, we have to be in full force. The wicket looks suitable for them and I am confident that things would go our way," Moin said.

He added: "Agreed, toss will be crucial. If my reading on the wicket is correct, it should start to take spin from the second day. Winning the toss and posting a decent score will give us a good cushion and help achieve the desired outcome."

Moin's confidence over a result-oriented Test is genuine in the background that Iqbal Stadium, once labelled as the graveyard of fast bowlers, has produced results in the last six Tests. But what Moin will not be pleased to know is that Pakistan has lost two of the last three Tests here. They went down against South Africa in 1997 and Sri Lanka two years earlier. The third against Zimbabwe was abandoned due to fog without a ball being bowled.

While Pakistan were blunt in their gameplan, England were in doldrums and undecided whether to include an out-of-sorts Ian Salisbury or name paceman Matthew Hoggard in the playing lineup.

Salibury has been nothing but average on this tour while Hoggard has claimed 17 wickets in two first-class matches. England have, however, named both the players in their squad of 13 which will be finalized before the toss.

Nasser Hussain said his observation about the wicket was that it was more or less the same his team played on in the third and decisive one-day international at Rawalpindi. "Obviously it will turn. But how much, it is hard to say.

"It looks a bit gritty one with a lot of sideways movement of the seam. But there wouldn't be eight slip catches."

Hussain said he was delighted with the way his boys have played cricket on this tour. "Psycological lifts come from progressive cricket. In general, what we have played here has been very good. We seem to be progressing.

"After the quality we have shown in the last 10 days, we must not take many backward steps."

Though the top England batsmen showed a lot of grit and determination at Lahore, Hussain himself is due for a long innings after aggregating 270 odd runs in 24 first-class innings this year.

A historic match gets under way from Wednesday in which Pakistan finds its nose ahead of the Englishmen.

England (from) - Marcus Trescothick, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain (captain), Graham Thorpe, Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart, Ashley Giles, Craig White, Ian Salisbury, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard.

Pakistan - Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Salim Elahi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan (captain), Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan and Danish Kaneria.

Umpires - Mian Mohammad Aslam (Pakistan), Steve Bucknor (West Indies)

TV Umpire - Shakeel Khan (Pakistan)

Match referee - Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).