The Mid-Week Commentary

While England are still in the earlier stages of their current series with West Indies, Pakistan are already looking forward to welcoming them for the winter tour.

" It's been thirteen long years since their last visit and as far as we are concerned their next trip can't come soon enough," said Yawar Saeed, Pakistan's Director of Cricket, who attended the ICC annual meeting this week.

Commenting on recent press reports which suggested that there may be some doubts about the tour going ahead, Saeed said to CRICINFO: " I have had conversations with Lord MacLaurin and Tim Lamb during this visit and they are looking forward to the series. They said that at no stage were they planning to cancel the tour."

Saeed went on to say:" We get on very well. If there were any minor problems years ago, they were blown out of proportion in reports. We find that the ECB is an excellent organisation, very efficient, and we have a very cordial relationship with them.

" Pakistan have a short Test series in England next year, but in the future we hope to get five Tests, like we have had before and as we have in other major Test playing countries. We appreciate that ECB have very busy summer programmes and they do their best in trying to accommodate various countries."

Saeed added:" With England's visit in view, in October, we are hoping to upgrade the grounds in the main Test centres; have digital scoreboards and we are wanting to stage the One-Dayers in floodlight. Hopefully all of these plans will be completed in time for England's keenly-awaited visit."

Looking at the domestic scene, with most of the championship matches having begun, it seems, only Yorkshire could possibly benefit from England's decision on the final eleven for the second Test match.

There is a likelihood of either off-spinner Robert Croft or the Yorkshire pace bowler Matthew Hoggard being omitted. The squad was reduced from thirteen when Ed Giddins was released but not in time for Warwickshire's game against Gloucestershire.

Should England decide against an all-seam attack and include Croft, the only specialist spinner in the twelve, then, disappointing as it may be for Hoggard at not making his Test debut, Yorkshire will welcome him for their important match at Old Trafford. He has made valuable contributions to their successes with twenty wickets at an average of 24.60 and a haul of five for 67 as his best this season.

They are without the services of Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and Craig White, all on England duty, and can ill afford to be without Hoggard as well. Lancashire have absentees too, Michael Atherton is engaged at Lord's and Andy Flintoff (who is also a loss to England), Peter Martin and probably Ian Austin all unfit.

Both sides have been in fine form recently in the championship with Yorkshire heading the table in Division One and Lancachire in third place. Neither county has been beaten this season. But in matches between these two teams, Lancashire have come out on top in the previous two seasons. The last time Yorkshire enjoyed victory in a 'roses' match was as far back as 1995.