Injuries hit Pakistan ahead of Test against Windies

Saeed was expected to join up with the side in Guyana last Thursday in time for their weekend match against a West Indies Under-23 XI which Pakistan won by 107 runs.

He has not fully recovered following a knee operation in England and complained of pain in his knee after a fitness test in Lahore last week.

Saeed’s departure has been delayed indfinitely, but the left-handed opening batsman is hoping to make it to the Caribbean in time for Pakistan’s first-class match against the West Indies A team in Bridgetown, May 12 to 15.

In the five weeks Pakistan has spent in the Caribbean, Shoaib has bowled just the seven overs he did in the last of three finals in the 2000 Trophy limited-overs.

The Rawalpindi Express has been recovering from a groin strain he picked up in the final of the Sharjah Cup limited-overs series just prior to the tour. He was to have appeared against the Under-23s, but was not selected.

It prompted speculation that he was not fully fit, since it was clear he needed to get match fit after being sidelined for so long. He was in full flight at practice on Tuesday however, and with Abdur questionable, may well play.

Inzamam, the best of the current crop of Pakistan batsmen, has been taking pain-killing injections for a bone growth in his right heel.

Named Man-of-the-Series for the 2000 Trophy Series, he was like the Rock-of-Gibraltar and opponents always felt if he was dislodged early the Pakistan batting would crumble.

Pakistan will do everything to get him ready, since losing both him and Saeed would be a "double whammy" for the batting which, like West Indies, would be without a truly world-class batsman. In both the batting and bowling, Pakistan have quality reserves upon whom they can call.

Waqar Younis and Mohammed Akram can easily fit into place for Shoaib and Abdur, while either Mohammed Wasim or Wajahatullah Wasti can take Inzamam’s position.

Pakistan however, will be hoping for the best as they try to reverse their recent run of wretched results which saw them lose to Australia in Australia and Sri Lanka at home.

No surprises are expected from West Indies. Unless the selectors have a few bright ideas or they too, are afflicted by a last-minute injury worry, the final 11 is predictable with batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, leg-spin bowler Mahendra Nagamootoo and fast bowler Nixon McLean to sit out.

West Indies have been on a roll for the last two months. They completed a 2-0 series win over minnows Zimbabwe and played competitively throughout the 2000 Trophy Series, though they lost 2-1 in the three-match finals to Pakistan.

With Pakistan blessed with a formidable bowling attack, West Indies’ batting will come under the microscope one more time throughout this series.

The four-pronged fast bowling attack comprising ageing warriors Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, along with young bucks Reon King and Franklyn Rose showed they were the strong link during the Zimbabwe series.

All but Walsh played in the limited-overs series, where they again bowled superbly, particularly in the last of three finals in Port-of-Spain, where Pakistan needed 45 overs to reach a mediocre victory target of 115.

The batting however, remained a big problem for West Indies. It struggled against an ordinary Zimbabwe attack and totally collapsed in that last Trophy final in Port-of-Spain against some of the bowlers they are going to face in the Test.

Left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who missed the limited-overs series after complaints of exhaustion, has been passed fit, warmed up with a century in Jamaica’s club competion and returns to add some depth to the batting.

His form, along with that of captain Jimmy Adams and opening batsman Sherwin Campbell, upon whom West Indies pin their batting hopes, has been patchy in the last few months.

Without the gifted Brian Lara, still in self-imposed exile from the game, West Indies’ batting looks very thin on paper.

Adams however, has preached total commitment and it has brought some results, but even he feels there is room for improvement.

Whenever international cricket is played in this South American nation, one eye is kept on the match and the other on the weather.

The last few weeks have been very wet, but looked to be improving over the last few days.

The Bourda pitch is usually slow and low, but the spin bowlers could make an impact over the last two or three days when it normally begins to crumble and get dusty.

Teams:

West Indies (from): Jimmy Adams (capt), Sherwin Campbell (vice-capt), Adrian Griffith, Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavel Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Franklyn Rose, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Reon King, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Nixon McLean.

Pakistan (from): Moin Khan (capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-capt), Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan, Wajahtullah Wasti, Mohammed Wasim, Mohammed Akram.