Miandad confident of winning second Test

Faisalabad, Nov 27: Pakistan coach Javed Miandad showed great optimism ahead of Faisalabad Test against England saying his side will pull off a win in the match starting here on Wednesday. "I am confident that Pakistan team will win the match as we enter the match with a positive frame of mind," Miandad told reporters after team had nets at Iqbal stadium.

The touring England side had to practice at Bohranwala ground, adjacent to their hotel because lack of nets at Iqbal stadium.

"I have seen the pitch and it's hard and will take spin. We have not decided on the combination but will definitely have a spin dominating attack," he said.

The match will again be affected by foggy weather and day's play is likely to be curtailed. During this time of the year fog descends and shorten the day by a significant margin.

Pakistan's speedster Wasim Akram will celebrate his 100th Test in Faisalabad but he may not find the pitch to his liking and will have to use all his guile to make this occasion memorable for him. Legspinner Danish Kaneria is certain to make his debut.

Pakistan may play off-spinner Arshad Khan and with Saqlain Mushtaq, spearheading the "tweakers", Pakistan will enter the match with three regular spinners plus leg-spinning allrounder Shahid Afridi.

"Kaneria has impressed me when I saw him bowl in the nets and he is our future prospect," Miandad said. Kaneria, 19, will be hard pressed to live up to the expectations and pressure on him will be more in the wake of Mushtaq Ahmed's failure in the drawn Lahore Test.

When asked why Pakistan failed to press home the advantage of spinners in the first Test, Miandad said pitch in Lahore was turning but it took slow turn and made England's work easy.

"It did take spin in Lahore but since it was slow turn England's batsmen coped with our bowling but this time it will be different," he said.

England team captain Nasser Hussain did not talk to the press on Monday but will brief about his team's possible line-up on Tuesday.