Slow bowlers expected to dominate the proceedings

Qaiser Abbas makes Test debut today: Lahore, Nov 14: Pakistan are set to entangle England in a spin web in the first cricket Test which begins here from Wednesday at the Qadhafi Stadium.

Besides the champion spin duo of Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmad, Pakistan are certain to play leggie Shahid Afridi and award Test cap to Muridke's 18-year-old Qaisar Abbas to utilize his services as a left-arm spinner on a wicket which confirms that slow bowlers will dominate the Test.

Before a ball has been bowled, cracks are visible on the surface. With the base of the strip appearing to be soft, the cracks are certain to get wider with progress of the game. To say that the wicket displays an ugly patch on a picturesque stadium would not be an understatement.

Strategically, Pakistan has done the right thing to utilize the home advantage and prepare a wicket in accordance with their strength and the opposition's weakness. England are not only notoriously known for being vulnerable against quality spinners but also they don't possess spinners who could pose a threat to the Pakistan stroke-makers.

Pakistan won the Lahore Test in the 1987-88 series through Abdul Qadir (9-56, still the best figures by a Pakistani bowler in a Test innings), who grabbed 13 scalps in Pakistan's innings and 87-run win. The remaining seven wickets were shared by the other two spinners - offie Tauseef Ahmed and the slow left-armer Iqbal Qasim.

"Its a good flat surface and will potentially spin and keep low, this will be our biggest test for a long time," England captain Nasser Hussain realises what lay ahead for his team.

The tourists will be hard pressed to match Pakistani "tweakers" through left-armer Ashley Giles and leg-spinner Ian Salisbury. But the two have yet to put up a performance to cause flutter in the Pakistan camp.

In the two first-class matches leading up to the first Test, Giles has picked just six wickets conceding 128 runs while Salisbury has also bagged four wickets at the cost of 143 runs. The experience of the two Englishmen at the highest level is also not enough to give the visitors supporters any realistic chance in this Test. The two share 20 wickets from 13 Tests as compared to Mushtaq-Saqlain combination who share 297 wickets between from 76 Tests.

England captain Nasser Hussain said his team was not here to make complains against pitches. "It has cracks, looks dry. But I will not call it a bad pitch. We get some pitches like this in England.

"It definitely looks a two-spinner pitch but I have heard Pakistan are playing four."

Hussain said it would be the test of character and ability of the England players to perform in this country and we look forward to this challenge," Hussain vowed.

While Hussain said toss would play the vital role in the outcome of the match with the captain making the right call would bat first, his opposite number Moin Khan said he was not concerned about the toss at all.

"Tosses were crucial in the one-dayers. Test cricket is a different ball game.

"Whether we bat first or last, we will play real hard and positive cricket. We are in a proper frame of mind and the confidence of the boys is sky-high after a come-from-behind victory in the one-day series.

"Of course we are favourites. Although I am not here to match playerby-player but the truth is that I have an experienced and wellbalanced side. I have spin bowling options, good depth in the batting. As a captain, I don't have any scares in any areas of the game."

Pakistan go into the Test as firm favourites because of the variety in their bowling. It would not be an overstatement but Pakistan has the bowling which can dismiss the opposition twice. The same cannot be said about England.

Although Moin Khan said Pakistan might feel some pressure after three series defeats in a trot, "the positive thing is that we have not lost any of the five previous rubbers against England."

Pakistan's biggest enemy in this game will not be England but complacency.

Pakistan batting will once again be spearheaded by experienced trio of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana while Shahid Afridi, Salim Elahi and debutant Qaisar Abbas will just try to play around under the wings of the three seasoned campaigners.

On paper, England comprise a more formidable batting line-up in Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Graeme Hick and Alec Stewart.

Wednesday will be a big day for Qaisar Abbas. The teenager has the skill, temperament and confidence to play in big matches. Many might object to putting him on a turning track, but the fact is that even if he scores around 30-40 runs he should be rated as a good player.

The great advantage of having player like Qaisar in the team is being a left-hander who can disturb the line of the bowler. Need not to say that he is a left-arm spinner who gives more punch to the Pakistan bowling. Qaisar is expected to play the same role that Aamir Sohail once did.

Because of shorter days here, the day's play has been reduced from 90 overs to 83 overs. However, it is highly unlikely if 83 overs will be bowled because of expected late start owing to heavy morning dew and early sunset.

Pakistan: Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Salim Elahi, Inzamam-ul- Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Qaisar Abbas, Moin Khan (captain), Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmad.

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

Umpires: Riazuddin (Pakistan) and Darrell Hair (Australia).

TV umpire: Salim Badar (Pakistan).

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).