MANCHESTER: The Test series between England and Pakistan is sponsored by energy company npower but the matches have been so affected by injuries it would be more realistic for it to be backed by a leading medical organisation.

On the eve of the second Test at Old Trafford neither was confident enough to announce a starting eleven and England had doubts that still threatened its trip to Australia in October to defend the Ashes.

England, already without Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones had discovered at the weekend that Andrew Flintoff would not play again in the series and has only an outside chance to be fit for the first Test in Brisbane in November.

The team was also missing Liam Plunkett, the 21-year-old Durham quick bowler and lower middle-order batsman who had a side strain that will also keep him out of the third Test.

Nervous feeling

No wonder there was a certain nervousness about the team at training on Wednesday which suggested that each player was wondering "will I be next for the physio's couch or the operating table?"

As for the Pakistan party there was more confusion; but what else is new? Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, presumed out of the side for the series, was said to now not to need an operation; three weeks' rest will cure his groin injury.

He might, it has been said, play in the final Test in August and show some of the skills that have made him a match winner with Sussex this summer.

Shoaib Akhtar, at one time said to be set to miss all four Tests, was in Birmingham saying he might play at Leeds in the third Test. Iftikhar Khan, added to the squad when Mohammad Asif was injured, had to return to Pakistan because his father had died. Younis Khan, who missed the first Test, is fit and Abdul Razzaq has recovered from a strain.

Afridi declared fit

Shahid Afridi is also fit again and may open the innings in his own impetuous manner — based on Sehwag or Gilchrist — and there is the persistent rumour that Pakistan may call up Mushtaq Ahmed and Yasir Arafat, last seen playing a 40-over game for Sussex.

Although England dominated the first Test at Lord's — when it was waiting for the return of the mighty Flintoff — the team's timid declaration 40 minutes into the last day allowed Pakistan off the hook.

With Younis Khan fit and England relying on the junior talents of Sajid Mahmood and the ageing skills of Jon Lewis for victory, it is difficult to see Pakistan being bowled out cheaply on a pitch that will favour the batsmen. The team's best hope is that it will be a high-scoring draw.

England is desperately in need of dynamic leadership and it will be interesting to see if Andrew Strauss — now likely to be the captain for the next six months — provides more than he did in a nervous start at Lord's.

It also needs a replacement for the energy provided by Flintoff and there are signs that it may come from Surrey's Rikki Clarke, 24, and a much more powerful player than the self-effacing lad who won two Test caps at 21.

The teams (from):

England: Andrew Strauss (capt.), Marcus Trescothick, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Geraint Jones, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Jon Lewis, Monty Panesar.

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt.), Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Farhat.

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Simon Taufel (Australia). TV umpire: Ian Gould. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

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