— Photo: AP

CAPTAINSPEAK: England's injured skipper Michael Vaughan takes time out to talk to the current captain Andrew Strauss (left) and assistant coach Mark Garaway on the eve of the third Test against Pakistan.

LEEDS: A whole series of problems face Pakistan on the eve of the third Test against England at Headingley. The opening partnerships have not provided runs and, in any case, coach Bob Woolmer will need to put out a third pairing since Imran Farhat has a broken thumb and will miss the Test.

Not only has the side been outplayed in the first Test and defeated by an innings in the second but the stars in waiting — Shoaib Akhtar and Naved-ul-Hasan, who might have been a devastating force on the notorious pitch — are still sidelined, for all the brave proclamations about their return to fitness.

Finally, the outstanding leg-break bowler Danish Kaneria has more wickets than any of his fellows who all have bowling averages above 40, but seven victims at 43.14 hardly suggests he is about to turn the series on its head.

Devilish pitch

Now that the torrid heat of July has given way to the gentle rains of August there is no telling what may be happening under the most devilish pitch in England. Men of Yorkshire, bred and born in Leeds, with all the wisdom of such old heads as Ray Illingworth, are never sure how it will behave, but believe me it will be a major factor and England will be better equipped to use it. Provided its odd behaviour fits its needs.

It will do its best to be ready by substituting the slower, older, wiser Jon Lewis for the faster, younger, wilder Sajid Mahmood. Lewis could, like Neil Mallender who in 1992 played one of his two Tests on the ground and took eight Pakistani wickets for 122, prove a match winner. On the other hand, this pitch often brings out the best in batsmen and I count both the unbeaten 82 and 84 made by Salim Malik in that same match among the best innings I have witnessed in 300 Tests.

The other focus for this match will be on the wicket-keepers. Kamran Akmal opened the innings at Old Trafford and may have to again although Pakistan may bring back Salman Butt to create a new opening partnership.

Spotlight on Read

The spotlight on Chris Read will be fiercer. He has been restored at No.7 to provide runs ahead of four lower order batsmen — Hoggard, Harmison, Lewis and Panesar — all of whom could bat at No.11 without causing anyone to protest. Geraint Jones, a batsman first and an improving wicket keeper second, could score only 10 runs an innings in his last nine visits to the crease and the absence of Andrew Flintoff, with whom he had a number of profitable stands, has meant his lack of form can be seen clearly.

Immediately he returned to his county side Kent and Jones was among the runs again — despite a broken finger — so the selectors may have done him a favour. Two more Tests, the one-day series against Pakistan, the ICC Trophy, the Ashes series and the World Cup all beckon to the winner of this contest within a match.

"I am not looking beyond this Test," says Read, grown philosophical since he was dropped in the West Indies in April 2004. I believe his silky skills behind the stumps will win this contest but that both he and Jones will go to Australia.

The teams (from): England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Chris Read, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Jon Lewis, Monty Panesar.

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

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (West Indies), Darrell Hair (Australia). TV umpire: Nigel Llong. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

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