Pakistan batting cause for worry, Windies mull over Sarwan

Defending an impressive record of losing only one Test series in the last 25 years at home is enough motivation for Jimmy Adams’ West Indies side that has exhibited passion, purpose and perseverance in the last two months.

For Pakistan, winning the fifth series between the two sides in the Caribbean would be something extra-special for Moin Khan and his gifted bunch, becoming the first side from their nation to achieve such a distinction.

With all that background, it is not hard to understand why the two sides would view this Test as a very critical one to the outcome of the series and focus on team selection.

West Indies selection panels have traditionally been very conservative and it would not be surprising if they retain the same 11 that played the opening Test.

A finger injury to fast bowler Franklyn Rose prevents him from appearing for the second straight Test, so that Nixon McLean gets another chance to show his stuff alongside Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Reon King.

The batting of teenager Ramnaresh Sarwan however, will make the selection panel scratch their heads a bit when they sit down to decide upon the final 11 for this Test.

Sarwan, 19, is a young batsman of rich potential. He batted with aplomb for West Indies A in the preceding four-day match against the Pakistanis on the weekend, making 32 and 75.

What was noticeable was the way he used his feet and his wholly positive approach against spinners, something which the other batsmen in the senior side have not demonstrated.

From as far back as the preceding one-day triseries, leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed in particular has spun a web around the leaden-footed West Indies batsmen and it was no different in the first Test.

Add the string of left-handers in the West Indies line-up from two to eight, and a strong case can be made for Sarwan’s inclusion. At whose expense would be the only question though.

There are three possible candidates. Opening batsman Adrian Griffith, Wavel Hinds and Chris Gayle. All are relative newcomers, have batted purposefully, if not productively, and the `drop’ could shatter their confidence.

The unadventurous selection panel however, is expected to ignore the foregoing and stick to what worked for them in Georgetown.

Trying to predict Pakistan’s final 11 is more a lottery. A journalist accompanying them has warned of their policy of picking sides only minutes prior to the toss, so the mystique which has always surrounded them remains.

One of the biggest puzzles of the Pakistan side at the moment is Shoaib Akhtar. The Rawalpindi Express has only played one match and bowled seven overs in the seven weeks he has spent in the Caribbean.

The combination of a groin injury and then a side strain has prevented him from playing. Every time the Pakistan team management has indicated he will play, he has not. And when he was not expected to appear, he did in the last of three finals against West Indies in the triseries.

Although West Indian cricket fans would not want to see him ravaging the brittle batting of their side like a Category Five hurricane would during the Atlantic storm season, they would still like to see what all the fuss is about Akhtar.

There were reports he was to be released and return to England, where he is contracted to play for Nottinghamshire. His departure has been delayed though, and once again the team management was speaking about getting him ready for the Test.

Akhtar’s selection would fortify Pakistan’s varied bowling attack which boasts of Wasim Akram, one of the top ten bowlers in the world, Abdur Razzaq, one of the most promising all-rounders in the game, along with highly-rated spin twins, Mushtaq and Saqlain Mushtaq.

Now that opening batsman Saeed Anwar, the former captain, is almost certain not to visit the Caribbean, Pakistan will face a crisis at the top of the order, since those tried there have not given them the kind of base from which to build monumental totals.

Mohammed Wasim, one of them, warmed up with score of 111 and 47 against the Windies A Team on the weekend, but others in contention like Wajahatullah Wasti, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi, all failed to make a lasting impression.

The middle-order too, has been suspect. Only vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has shown any consistency with the bat and the time could be soon running out when he would be their saviour.

Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana and Moin will all have to get meaningful runs, so that the calamity of 39 for five from which Pakistan fortunately recovered through Inzamam and Razzaq will not occur again.

The two teams can expect to find a hard, true Kensington Oval pitch which produced the epic Test between West Indies and world champions Australia last year.

The batsmen should be able to play their strokes, and the bowlers should get enough to keep the match lively.

Teams:

West Indies (from): Jimmy Adams (capt), Stuart Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Riddley Jacobs, Nixon McLean, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Reon King, Ramnaresh Sarwan, M Nagamootoo.

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

Umpires: Eddie Nicholls, Rudi Koertzen

Match referee: Peter Burge