November 08 Friday 2002
Pakistan seek return to winning ways in Zimbabwe 

HARARE: Pakistan will seek to emerge from three heavy defeats in Australia when they take on Zimbabwe here on Saturday in the first of two Test matches. A lively wicket ideal for fast bowlers has been prepared at Harare Sports Club and with unsettled weather and brisk winds promised for the next two days at least, the pacemen will have 
ideal conditions.

Zimbabwe's premier batsman and vice-captain Andy Flower said: "We will certainly get a result unless there's a lot of rain." Pakistan need a lift after their disaster in Australia - in one match they barely reached 100 runs over two innings. They prefer to remember a treble against West Indies and beating New Zealand earlier this year.

Zimbabwe lost 3-0 to Sri Lanka and 2-0 to India in their last two Test series so Pakistan start as warm favourites. They hold a 6-1 advantage over the Zimbabweans with three drawn but over the years Zimbabwe have shown a capacity to surprise. All the Pakistan players reported fit during a heavy training session under coach Richard Pybus here Thursday. 

Physio Dennis Waight said: "Everybody is in good shape, except for the odd niggle which isn't giving any anxieties." 

Pakistan has sent a Test squad of 15, from which a final 12 will not be named until Friday evening or perhaps not even until Saturday morning because playing conditions could change very quickly. The selectors have full information about their current form, with the exception of Yousuf Youhana. He has had little match practice this year and was out early against Zimbabwe 'A' on Monday in a freak run-out incident. 

Every other batsman in the top eight scored 40 runs or better in the warm-up match which lost its third and final day through rain. Waqar Younis is almost certainly going to bat number three, while Rashid Latif will replace Kamran Akmal behind the stumps. A place will also be found for spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. 

Those three did not play in the opening match. Zimbabweans, who haven't seen Test cricket at home for a year, are to be treated to the sheer pace of Akhtar, the imperious batting of Inzimam ul Haq (he needs 71 runs to reach 6,000 in Tests) and the strokeplay of Hasan Raza, aged 20, who came to fame in his first Test almost six years ago at the age of 14 years and 227 days.

The home side's final 13 has been named. One enforced change from their original selections involves the withdrawal of fast medium bowler Travis Friend through injury.

He is replaced by Henry Olonga, whose recent form has been inadequate and who has lost some of the pace that gave batsmen trouble in his first two or three years at Test level. He was not in the original squad of 19. Olonga is likely to be 12th or 13th man.

Captained by Alistair Campbell, Zimbabwe include Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Hamilton Masakadza, Dion Ebrahim, Guy Whittall, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Blessing Mahwire, Raymond Price, Mluleki Nkala, Mark Vermeulen and Henry Olonga. 

Masakadza scored a Test century on debut against West Indies here last year but has been studying at university since and has not played a lot of cricket.

The Zimbabwe top order has often failed and it might once again fall to the Flower brothers to give substance to Zimbabwe's batting. It was in 1995 that Zimbabwe scored 544-4 off Pakistan, their highest since gaining Test status in 1992, Grant Flower making a double century and his brother Andy a high century. However, the main player in the Test might be the principal Zimbabwe rain-god Chaminuka.