Lanka, S. Africa, West Indies to visit Pakistan in winter (14 May 1997)

14 May 1997

Lanka, S. Africa, West Indies to visit Pakistan in winter

By Ilyas Beg

LAHORE, May 13: Cricket-hungry fans of this country will be treated to a feast of six Tests, seven one-day international matches and four side games against the visiting teams of South Africa, the West Indies and Sri Lanka during coming winter (from Oct 1 to Dec 10).

The hectic schedule of matches was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) secretary Waqar Ahmad on Monday afternoon. That includes three Tests against the South African team at Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura and Faisalabad, two side games (three-day, each) at Quetta and Peshawar, besides its one-day international matches of the Pakistan Golden Jubilee Floodlit Cricket Tournament at the Qadhafi Stadium, Lahore.

A 15-member strong South Africa team for the tour of Pakistan had been announced by the South African Cricket Union (SACU) on April 17. The team is: Captain Hansie Cronje, Gary Kirsten, Adam Bacher, Andrew Hudson, Brian McMillan, Daryll Cullanin, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Dave Richardson, Pat Symcox, Paul Adams, Allan Donald, Lance Klusener, Brett Shultz.

While recalling the openers Gary Kirsten and Andrew Hudson, a spokesman of the SACU had said that both had dropped form and were being brought back into the side to re-strengthen the top-order batting against the Test series against Pakistan. The sturdily-built all-rounder Brian McMillan was recalled after he had recovered from an injury. The SACU intends to re-furbish the South African side by making some changes after the three-Test series. The new-look South African side will compete in the Golden Jubilee Floodlit Tournament of one-day internationals being participated by the current World Cup champions, Sri Lanka, and the former World Cup champions, the West Indies and Pakistan. The South African side has quite a few world-class fielders like Jonty Rhodes, Gary Kirsten and Brian McMillan (also a useful all-rounder), high-calibre bowlers like pacemen Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock (also a useful batsman) and spinner Paul Adams and the reliable bastmen like Darryll Cullanin, Gary Kirsten, Hansie Cronje (captain), Andrew Hudson and Jonty Rhodes. The South African side will give tough time to the Pakistan team in the Test matches. Only very lucky sides will be able to beat South Africa in the one-day games of the Golden Jubilee Floodlit Cricket Tournament.

Although the West Indies Cricket Control Board has not yet been announced its team for the tour of Pakistan yet it should be pretty strong and as big a crowd puller as its sides had been in the past. The team will first take part in the Quadrangular Golden Jubilee Floodlit Cricket Tournament. At its conclusion, the West Indies side will stay on in Pakistan to play three Tests against Pakistan at Peshawar, Gujranwala and Karachi and two side games (four-day, each) at Rawalpindi and Hyderabad. The Test series is expected to be very absorbing.

The Caribbean side's participation in the Golden Jubilee Floodlit Cricket Tournament will make the limited-over games more exciting. The quadrangular competition is being participated by top teams of the world, each one of whom has defeated the very best sides in instant cricket on its day. The tournament will be played on single-league basis under floodlights for the first time at the venue of the Sixth World Cricket Cup final (Qadhafi Stadium). Its final will be played on Nov 8. The West Indies team will arrive in Pakistan in the first week of November.

The schedule this winter in Pakistan (from Oct 1 to Dec 10) is:

South Africans programme

Oct 1 to 3: Side game at Quetta October 6 to 10: First Test at Rawalpindi Oct 12 to 14: Side match at Peshawar Oct 17 to 21: Second Test at Sheikhupura Oct 24 to 28: Third Test at Faisalabad

Golden Jubilee schedule

Nov 1: Sri Lanka vs. West Indies Nov 2: Pakistan vs. South Africa Nov 3: West Indies vs. South Africa Nov 4: Pakistan vs. West Indies Nov 5: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka Nov 6: Sri Lanka vs. South Africa Nov 8: FINAL

West Indies programme

Oct 26: Arrival in Pakistan Nov 11 to 14: Side game at Rawalpindi Nov 17 to 21: First Test at Peshawar Nov 24 to 26: Side game at Hyderabad Nov 29 to Dec 3: Second Test at Gujranwala Dec 6 to 10: Third Test at Karachi Departure for Sharjah.

Source:: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn/)