KARACHI, MARCH 11: Pakistan’s cricket team is in a tight corner trying to avoid their first home whitewash as they enter the third Test against Sri Lanka here on Sunday. The tourists won the first Test at Rawalpindi by a narrow two-wicket margin and went on to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead at Peshawar with a 57-run win.Pakistan also face a real threat to their unbeaten record over 33 Tests at the National Stadium and have problems off the field affecting their overall showings. Coach Intikhab Alam resigned on Friday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) replaced him with another former coach Javed Miandad.``We did not have cricketing problems with Miandad and all is over now. We are geared up to play under him,'' said captain Saeed Anwar. Miandad, who resigned from the coach's post in April 1999 after reportedly falling out with senior players including Anwar, supervised Pakistan's net practice on Saturday. ``The team is comprised of experienced players and off-field worries should not affect the team's performances,'' he said. Anwar suffered a sprained neck after he collided with umpire Mohammad Nazir during the Peshawar Test and had cortisone injections. ``I am mentally ready to play but still have pain in my neck, the final decision will be taken on Sunday.'' If Anwar is ruled out, wicketkeeper Moin Khan will lead the side. Pakistan have never been whitewashed in a Test series at home and have won 16 and drawn 17 Tests played at the National Stadium since the first Test was played here in 1954-55.The Sri Lankans are confident they can keep their winning streak intact. ``It's not guaranteed that you win every time and do the clean sweep but we will do our best to win the final Test also,'' Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya said. Experienced batsman Aravinda de Silva, who developed hamstring problems in the second Test, batted comfortably in the nets. ``He is keen on playing and that's impressive but we will decide only on Sunday,'' Sri Lankan coach Dave Whatmore said. The pitch at the National Stadium has plenty of grass on it and is likely to favour seamers. ``It looks a better pitch than we had for the second Test, fairly good for batting also,'' Whatmore said. (AFP)Teams (from)Pakistan: Saeed Anwer (captain), Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhanna, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Arshad Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Wajahatullah Wasti, Irfan Fazil, Mohammad Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed. Sri lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Aravinda de Silva, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Indika de Saram, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Indika Gallage, Rangana Herath and Pramodya Wickremasinghe.
