England bid to undermine Waqar captaincy

Tony Lawrence

England will launch their test series against Pakistan on Thursday with a concerted opening assault on both Waqar Younis's captaincy and his team's morale.

England may be the form team at Lord's but they are fully aware of Pakistan's ability to surprise, despite a shambolic run-up to the two-test series.

A good start by the tourists would not only give new skipper Waqar instant credibility but would also remind Pakistan of their reputation as the most naturally talented team in the world.

England captain Nasser Hussain said: "If we can get into them early at Lord's, I think it will plant a few seeds of doubt.

"If we don't, they'll start getting behind Waqar and start playing some good cricket."

Waqar, meanwhile, knows he will be under the spotlight.

"I'm trying to take it lightly," he said. "But there's lots of pressure in being captain."

Pakistan, realistically, have no right to pose a challenge as they seek their fourth series win in a row in England.

They lost their home series to Hussain and Co. at the end of last year, before sacking coach Javed Miandad and captain Moin Khan.

SIDELINED WITH INJURY
Many of their top players were sidelined with injury, while strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar also had to remodel his action after being reported for the second time in his turbulent career.

Their tour party was then expanded from 16 players to 17 amid media reports that Waqar, prolonging a two-year feud with Wasim Akram, had tried and failed to bar the former captain from the squad.

To top all that, Pakistan arrived in England without a coach. Richard Pybus had to catch up with them after being offered a short-term contract at the last minute.

As England opener Michael Atherton once said, however, the only predictable thing about Pakistan is their unpredictability.

FULL OF MATCH-WINNERS
Theirs is a team packed full of match-winners. Wasim is the only player in the world with 400 wickets in both tests and one-dayers, Waqar has 319 test wickets and was the key bowler when Pakistan won in England in 1992 and 1996.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, meanwhile, has scored centuries in his last six series during which he has only once averaged under 50, while Shoaib, pre-remodelling, was considered the quickest bowler in the world.

Saeed Anwar is among the best opening batsmen in the world, Abdur Razzaq among the best all-rounders. And then there are Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed, two spinners who would walk into the England team.

With Shoaib struggling for fitness and 20-year-old pace bowler Mohammad Sami hampered by a shin problem, both could play on Thursday.

"Two spinners are possible," said Waqar. "We have not made up our minds yet on the bowling combinations."

England, meanwhile, adding up to more than their individual parts under coach Duncan Fletcher, look certain to go into the game with seven specialist batsmen -- one of them 28-year-old debutant Ian Ward -- and four seamers.

That would leave off-spinner Colin Croft on the sidelines.

QUESTION MARK OVER WHITE
The only real question mark hangs over all-rounder Craig White. A key man in England's four consecutive series victories, he has a stiff back and faces a final fitness test on Wednesday after missing bowling sessions on both previous days.

If he is ruled out, England could start with a second uncapped player, left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom.

History offers mixed messages on the likely Lord's outcome.

Last year, England won both tests there, beating Zimbabwe by an innings and 209 runs -- seamer Ed Giddins taking five for 15 in the first innings and Darren Gough and Andy Caddick taking four each in the second -- and beating West Indies thanks to a fine all-round performance by Dominic Cork.

Pakistan, however, won the 1992 fixture, thanks to Wasim Akram's four for 66 and 45 not out on the final day, and in 1996, with Inzamam scoring 148 and Waqar taking eight wickets.

So, predictably, anything could happen.

Mail Cricket Editor