Road to Jamaica 5: New strategy, new hope?

Despite Bob Woolmer's stonewalling of my piercing questions earlier this week - I know you all thought the interview was tremendous really - we now have a good idea of what Pakistan's new strategy will be.

Younis Khan will try and enforce some stability at the top of the innings while young Mr Nazir attempts to unleash hell. Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam will move up one position to number three and four, the premier batting slots, and Shoaib Malik will be left to marshall the lower order or then again Mohammad Hafeez might.

It is too early to call this a winning strategy. But when your old system isn't working, a reasonable approach is to try something completely different. On that basis Pakistan's new batting order is worth persevering with. It also gives Pakistan's best batsmen, Yousuf, Inzamam, and Younis, the maximum opportunity to influence the match.

Furthermore, Hafeez and Malik, who can both be leaden footed when the ball moves around early in an innings, might be more comfortable lower down the order.

Kamran Akmal will take one of the next two batting slots, but the complication arises when considering which combination of bowling all-rounders and bowlers to go for. One of those slots would go to Afridi, in my view. Potentially, though, Pakistan can bat right down to 9, even number 11 if the mood takes them.

The first indication is that the wickets might indeed be to Pakistan's liking but the warm up against South Africa will give us a better idea if this is a strategy with legs. It has had a mixed start but one that offers hope.