Pakistan favourites in first ODI
Pakistan will start as favourites on Tuesday in their sold-out one-day clash against England at the start of the tourists' first series in Pakistan in 13 years.
England has tuned up nicely for the match by easily winning both their warm-up games but skipper Nasser Hussain concedes the hosts will make the most of their home advantage.
"Pakistan is a multi-dimensional side and are hard to beat in their den but we have prepared well for the Test," Hussain said Monday.
"The way the boys have played is satisfactory but playing against the varied attack of Pakistan will be totally different."
Opener Marcus Trescothick, Alec Stewart, Hussain and Greame Hick have been impressive in the lead-up games, while bowlers Andy Caddick and Darren Gough also seem to be enjoying the flat wickets of Pakistan.
Hussain said Pakistan would be a handful despite their off and on-field problems, including match-fixing allegations and public bickering between senior players and coach Javed Miandad over prizemoney.
"We have been hearing all such stories of internal bickering for the last several years but when they come out in the middle they give their best," Hussain said.
Pakistan has lost their last four limited overs games at the National Stadium in the southern port city of Karachi but captain Moin Khan said his team was confident of reversing the trend.
"England will not be easy prey but we start the match as favourites," said Khan, adding that he would play despite coming down with a high temperature and sore throat.
"We have no fitness worries and will enter the match with the best combination."
Pakistan may play two spinners in Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahamd with allrounder Shahid Afridi filling in as extra cushion for the bowling attack.
"Spinners are our strength but we have a varied attack which is one of the best in the world," coach Miandad said.
Fielding is one aspect of the game where the tourists have an edge.
"We have to be at our best in fielding because this is the area where we are often let down," Miandad said.
Organisers said the day-night match -- the first under lights at the National Stadium -- was sold out with all 35,000 tickets snapped up.
Security has been tightened around the ground following two violent attacks on Islamic meetings here over the weekend in which five people died, but organisers said they were not expecting any trouble at the match.
The teams:
Pakistan (from): Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Yousuf Youhanna, Salim Elahi, Faisal Iqbal, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed.
England (from): Nasser Hussain, Marcus Trescothick, Alec Stewart, Graeme Hick, Graham Thorpe, Mark Alleyne, Andrew Caddick, Mark Ealham, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White, Ashly Giles, Darren Gough, Paul Grayson, Matthew Hoggard and Vikram Solanki.
Match Referee: Barry Jarman (Australia)
Umpires: Riazuddin and Salim Badar (Pakistan)
Mail Cricket Editor
