Akram on verge of another milestone

By Ted Corbett

FAISALABAD, NOV. 28. On the eve of his 100th Test, Wasim Akram was still the complete cricketer-jogging through the warm-up, bowling like the wind, obliging fan-photographers, posing for the camera pros, politely asking his captain's permission to leave the nets to change into something more photogenic and clearly anxious that he should mark this big moment with a memorable performance.

He will be the 24th player to take part in 100 Tests; and it is a poignant moment since it now certain that Mohammad Azharuddin will remain on 99 for the rest of his life. Akram joins Salim Malik and Javed Miandad, the only Pakistanis with more than 100 Test caps. ``Naturally he wants to take a few wickets to celebrate the occasion,'' said Moin Khan, the Pakistan captain in his 60th Test. ``He has always given 100 per cent for his side.''

Of course. Wasim is one of the greats, with 408 Test wickets at 23.02 and 2,810 runs at 22.66, including an undefeated 257 which included 12 sixes, against Zimbabwe at Sheikhpura. It would have been a remarkable innings by anyone, but Wasim's all- rounder status depends heavily on his bowling, and it had added glory since it beat a record by Walter Hammond which had stood for 64 years.

To make the most direct comparison possible Kapil Dev took his 350th wicket in his 100th Test; but the great Indian all-rounder also scored 5248 runs in his career in 131 Tests.

As he showed in six incisive overs of England's second innings at Lahore, Akram has enough kerosene left in his tank to power a jumbo jet; but the pitch that has been selected at the Iqbal Stadium will do nothing to provide a take-off. It is bare as an airport runway and although there are cracks that may provide turn on the third day we are faced with another dour struggle for runs.

At one stage the electronic scoreboard showed a few imaginary figures as it tested circuits and operators. Runs appeared to be coming at 4.5 an over. ``Never in this world,'' said the old England opener Chris Broad, now a radio commentator, but on England's last visit to Faisalabad he was in the team that was prevented from pressing for a win by the row between Mike Gatting and the umpire Shakoor Rana. Inshallah, as they say hereabouts, we will see no repeat of that little scenario, which stopped a Test for two days. ``It was a nightmare,'' Broad remembers. ``I went round the dressing rooms this morning and it all came back to me. It should never have happened.''

Pakistan plans to use the 19-year-old Danish Kaneria, a tall leg- spinner who has impressed everyone who has seen him, and who, if you like this sort of detail, shares a birthday on December 16 with Craig White and Imran Nazir who are also in the squads for this match. That old wizard Abdul Qadir rates him highly and he was kept out of the Pakistan Board of Control side last weekend to prevent England getting a look at him. ``He is the right age to make an impression,'' said Moin Khan. ``I want him to play and I expect him to get wickets.''

A surprise attack?

England is not talking about its plans. Is it because it has always planned to draw all three Tests and embarrassed to say so. Or is it planning a surprise attack, using Andrew Flintoff as a floating batsman ready to walk to the wicket at the right moment and produce an innings of measured blows? Michael Vaughan's calf is not fully cured, but all the other niggles have vanished.

I wish I could tell you that either side will attack but I think they both have too much to lose and that England will field the same team and Pakistan employ the same tactics it used in the first Test on a similar pitch. It has draw written all over it.

The likely teams:

England: Nasser Hussain (capt.), Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe, Alec Stewart, Graeme Hick, Craig White, Ian Salisbury, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough.

Pakistan: Moin Khan (capt.), Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Salim Elahi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Qaiser Abbas, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Danish Kaneria.

Umpires: Miam Mohammad Aslam (Pakistan) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

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