Saqlain bolsters Pak attack

Saqlain will give a greater edge to Pakistan’s bowling which has been without the services of its main strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar. He was hardly missed on Wednesday when they gamefully defended a modest 197 for eight off 50 overs.

Even without Shoaib, Pakistan’s attack looks formidable. If Saqlain is added, it can only get stronger and will take a substantially improved batting performance from West Indies to get over them.

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are still a potent new-ball force, all-rounder Abdur Razzaq will offer them support with his fast-medium bowling, along with the spinners, of whom leggie Mushtaq Ahmed has been the best on tour. Though Wasim and Waqar gave little away in their opening spells, it was Mushtaq’s 10-2-23-1 that clinched Wednesday’s match for Pakistan, since he bamboozled West Indies’ batsmen at a time when they might have contemplated cutting loose.

Though Pakistan’s bowlers will be proud of successfully defending 14 times out of 19 matches since last year’s World Cup in England, they will want much more from their batsmen.

“We were aiming to get about 250 (on Wednesday) because the pitch was playing very good, but in the middle of the innings we collapsed," captain Moin Khan, whose form has been sporadic, remarked.

Saeed Anwar’s missing experience at the top of the order has meant Pakistan have not received the kind of starts they have come to expect.

Though vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been the shimmering example with scores of 32, 51 not out, 34, 69 and 66, he has lacked for collective support.

Teenager Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi have each had a major innings in the series, but the glue has not been there. They have both been guilty of playing reckless strokes and not giving the respect deserved by the West Indies new-ball bowlers, Curtly Ambrose and Reon King.

The batting problems have been compounded by the low production from others like Moin, Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana. Pakistan however, are one of the most unpredictable side and it will not be far-fetched to see them post a monumental total during the weekend.

Some of the old habits the West Indies had dispensed with over the last month returned to deny them in the opening final. They let Pakistan wriggle free in the dying overs and then literally shot themselves in the foot with some careless batting.

Throughout their two-Test series against Zimbabwe and their clean sweep of the preliminary competition of the tri-nation series, captain Jimmy Adams’ consistently asserted there were still areas upon which to improve.

He and his side found it out the hard way on Wednesday. Chasing runs for the first time in the series, the batting could not carry them and they subsided to their seventh defeat in 10 matches batting second in limited-overs cricket.

“In a few areas we were a bit exposed (on Wednesday), but I think the main thing was more on the mental side and I am sure with a bit more experience and a few more matches, we will definitely improve in this area,” Adams said.

Similar to Pakistan, West Indies strength is their bowling with Ambrose, King, Franklyn Rose and Nixon McLean forming a competent attack. Batting will be the key to them winning two matches this weekend, though.

Teams (from)

West Indies: Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell (vice-captain), Philo Wallace, Wavel Hinds, Chris Gayle, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Franklyn Rose, Nixon McLean, Curtly Ambrose, Reon King, Sylvester Joseph, Laurie Williams, Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Pakistan: Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vc), Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Mohammed Wasim, Mohammed Akram, Naved Qureshi, Atiq-uz-Raman, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Fazil.

Umpires: Eddie Nicholls, Billy Doctrove