Pakistan face Zimbabwe in tri-series today

St John's (Antigua), April 4: West Indies, the winners of the first two matches at the weekend of the first-ever triangular one-day series, now sit tightly at St Vincent to take on Pakistan - their biggest threat on April 12.

They had a sound and rather convincing start to their campaign with two wins in-a-row in the Tests and in the one-dayers at Trinidad and Jamaica against Zimbabwe hoping that they may be able to put on a similar kind of performance against Pakistan who play their first match of the tour here Wednesday at the Recreation Ground against Zimbabwe.

All the three teams play each other twice before the best-of-three finals at Barbados, and Trinidad on April 19, 22 and 23. But before that, a lot hard work has to be done by all the three participating teams.

West Indies is taking this tournament as precursor to their World Cup dress rehearsal which they have to stage in 2007.

Pakistan's immediate task now is to see that they win their first game and they are focused on it after their triumphant outing at Sharjah against India and South Africa. Their disappointments in Australia and their defeat against Sri Lanka recently at home by a margin of 3-0 in the one-dayers and 2-1 in the Test series is all behind them.

Touring under Moin Khan, they are on a mission and that too a very cherished one - to win not only the one-day series but also the three-match Test series.

Pakistan has psychological edge. They made to the final of the World Cup last year and then promptly dispatched the West Indians 3-0 in the DMC Trophy at Toronto last September and finally won the Champions Trophy over Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Sharjah last October.

Against Zimbabwe in 20 one-day games so far, Pakistan has won 17, lost 2 and had a tied game at Harare in 1995. The Zimbabweans surely are no strangers nor is Pakistan to them.

Already trailing behind with defeats in two matches against West Indies, the Zimbabweans are keen to clinch a win at the expense of Pakistan.

It will certainly not be that easy against a team like Pakistan who, despite their successes and failures, are themselves determined to assert their superiority once again. Wasim Akram is involved in Dhaka in the ICC charity game and Shoaib Akhtar is indisposed for three weeks.

Pakistan has a potent attack even without them with Waqar Younis in great form and well in support with Abdur Razzaq and Mohammad Akram. Off-spinner Arshad Khan and wrist spinner Shahid Afridi will be in charge of spin. Pakistan's batting, without Saeed Anwar will be a shade more fragile. Unpredictable and inconsistent as their batting outfit is, will have to bat really well to post a huge score or if they bat second chase a sizeable target. Afridi and Imran Nazir who have done well at Sharjah, will open and will be followed up by Younis Khan Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana and will have enough depth with Moin Khan and Abdur Razzaq coming later.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Wajahatullah Wasti, Younis Khan, Moin Khan, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Akram, Abdur Razzaq, Arshad Khan and Mohammad Wasim, Irfan Fazil, Shoaib Malik, Mushtaq Ahmad and Atiq-uz-Zaman.

Zimbabwe: Andy flower, Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Murray Goodwin, Alistair Campbell, Neil Johnson, Heath Streak, Henry Olonga, Gary Brent, Guy Whittall, Mluleki Nkala and Craig Wishart.

Umpires: Eddie Nicholls, Billy Doctrove

Third Umpire: Pat Whyte.