Tough Battle Expected In Test Series

The enthralling and toughly-fought Cable & Wireless One-Day Trophy finals between the West Indies and Pakistan has set the stage perfectly for the three-Test series featuring the same two teams and starting Friday at Bourda in Guyana.

Naturally, the Jimmy Adams-led Windies will be looking to avenge their 2-1 defeat in the abbreviated form of cricket, while Moin Khan's side will be hoping to extend its winning run and also take home the bounty after squaring off against the regional team in Guyana, Barbados (May 18 to May 22) and finally Antigua (May 25 to May 29).

If the One-Day series is any yardstick, the Test matches will be keenly contested to the last ball. Both the West Indies and Pakistan boast an exciting array of players who on their own or in tandem can turn a match.

No one can disagree that the visitors' bowling attack of the wily and experienced Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and the highly touted Shoaib Akhtar, will present the home team with a major test.

However, the form of West Indies batsmen this season, including Sherwin Campbell, Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle and Adams, has been encouraging. What we need is for the entire batting line-up to perform consistently a point that both Adams and coach Roger Harper have underlined repeatedly.

The reverse also applies as Windies bowlers, led by new world, Test-wicket record-holder Courtney Walsh and his pace partner Curtly Ambrose, and superbly supported by the fast-rising Reon King and Franklyn Rose, will be a handful for Pakistan. The latter's batting thus far has revolved around their No. 4 and Man-Of-The-Series for the Cable & Wireless One-Day Trophy competition, Inzamam-ul-Haq.

However, the Windies should not be lured into the complacent belief that the rest of Pakistan's batting will not fire at some juncture during the next month.This talented, sub-continent side has the potential to amass devastatingly high totals and obliterate opposition at will.

Windies fans are eagerly awaiting this epic battle and, with some of the game's top personalities in either squad, the on-field action should be gripping. Without further ado, as they say, let the games begin.

The recent admission by former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje that he accepted between US$10 000 and US$15 000 from an Indian bookmaker has not done cricket any favours.

It leaves another ugly stain of match-fixing on our beloved sport and has triggered an emergency meeting of the executive committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in England this week.

While no one likes the idea of the ICC convening for such a reason, it is commendable that the game's governing body has developed a procedure for handling these matters. Such was not the case a few years ago when Australians Mark Waugh and Shane Warne were accused of match-fixing.

The 12-member executive committee (comprising one representative from each of the nine Test-playing nations and three associate members) will decide what action will be taken regarding the South Africa issue, in which other players' names have been called also.

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau will attend this special session (May 2 and 3) and his pronouncements on match-fixing since the Cronje scandal broke on April11 indicate the WICB will be taking a hard line against offenders.

Speaking to various audiences, Rousseau has firmly indicated that any such accusations and incidents within the West Indies ranks will be subject to drastic action by the WICB. There is no doubt about the WICB's support for stiff penalties for those found guilty of bringing cricket into this distasteful disrepute.

It is very important to take a strong position so people don't believe that we are ducking the issue, Rousseau told reporters in Grenada recently.

In keeping with the high traditions of cricket especially in the Caribbean where our cricketers are among our top sporting and national icons it's important that those seeking fame and fortune via cricketing exploits understand that their commitment to excellence does not just apply to their on-field heroics. It most certainly extends to the lofty principles of sportsmanship and fair play that have always been part and parcel of cricket.