Pakistanis arrive in England

By Ted Corbett

NOTTINGHAM, MAY 3. The Pakistanis arrived in England last night; you knew because the sounds of dissent grew louder by the minute. They are more of a squabble than a squad but more fool he who thinks they are less of a force because there are as many enemies as friends in the 16-strong party.

If you add the factors most likely to influence the way their two Tests and half a dozen one-day internationals are played you could only come to the conclusion that they will not win a match. Waqar Younis is their new captain and everyone knows that no fast bowler should be asked to lead a Test team.

I heard Bob Willis, one of the genre, say so himself this week on television. Yet it never disturbed the adventurous way in which Wasim Akram bowled or batted in his various stints as captain and this tour, on England's damp and (for a fast bowler at any rate) pleasant early season pitches, may suit Waqar long enough to give England's new-found confidence a very severe dent indeed. I heard Nasser Hussain say so - but cheerfully as always - as television sought to wile away wet hours this week.

Speaking of Waqar and Wasim, they are rumoured to be at one another's throats. But then there was never a Pakistan tour which began without stories of mayhem. Waqar replaced Wasim, amid wild tales of Wasim being at the end of his long career, for the final match of their disastrous Test series against England and bowled beautifully and now, so the rumour mills repeat, they no longer speak. Another tale says they are still the best of buddies and that they were at a party together only yesterday. Does anyone ever have any regard for the truth in that part of the sub- continent?

And how long will it take for the new coach Richard Pybus to find out what means what? I heard their former opening bat Aamir Sohail advocate the use of foreign coaches during the winter and felt obliged to ask him how anyone could manage in a dressing room - in either India or Pakistan - where there were half a dozen languages, only one of which he might understand. He laughed. Richard Pybus from England and South Africa is a brave man but he will be consoled by the success of the New Zealander John Wright.

The Pakistanis have other problems. Shoaib Akhtar, a fast bowler charismatic enough to fill a ground by promising to appear, has not travelled with the main party but he is due to join them later even though there will be English umpires who wish to see for themselves if his action is completely legal. His old adversaries Darrell Hair and Peter Willey have said they will follow the ICC opinion that he does not throw; but that is just the first Test at Lord's and there are as many strong-minded men among the English band of umpires who may wish to differ. He has had stomach problems since he returned from Australia last winter but the word is that he will be along in a day or two.

There are enough back-up quickish bowlers if he cannot make it and I am sure the England coach Duncan Fletcher wishes he had a young all-rounder as talented as the richly-endowed Abdur Razzaq. Wasim and Waqar bring 728 Test victims to the party and there is another factor which England may find surprising. Geoff Boycott spent time this winter guiding the more advanced among the young batsmen and told me afterwards that they had a lot of promise but that they needed to learn how the game could be played to their best advantage. He will be on hand to advise the youngsters in his own methods of run-gathering so there is no telling how successful this extraordinary collection of cricketers may be.

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