Wasim goes in search of final flourish

In common with recent pitches on the Old Trafford square, it had lost its pace by the time that Pakistan attempted to chase India's 227 and there is no reason for its characteristics to be different today. The captain who wins the toss will bat.

Pakistan, rightly, are the favourites to reach the final, at Lord's on Sunday, but New Zealand have been a good outside bet (originally at 20-1) from the outset and they have not yet batted to their full potential. In their most important victories, against Australia in the first round and India last Saturday, the common denominator in their success has been Roger Twose. In two cool, determined innings, during which he put his experience of winning tight matches for Warwickshire to such excellent use, his chief assistants were first Chris Cairns and then Adam Parore.

On both occasions, New Zealand found a partnership capable of chasing a demanding total. Perhaps, like those racehorses who look nothing special but have a knack of upsetting more spectacular opponents, they will continue to do just enough. Instinct suggests that, either today or on Sunday, they are going to find an opponent too good for them, but for a side commonly supposed to be short of "flair" players, they possess in Astle, Cairns, Parore and McMillan four dangerous strikers of a ball, especially on pitches where the lateral movement is minimal.

Moreover, a big innings is overdue from Stephen Fleming, the captain, who, with Harris and Horne, is one of three exceptional fielders. Add to all this the fact that the bowlers know exactly what they are trying to do and that New Zealand lost only 3-2 to South Africa in their last one-day series, when Lance Klusener hit a six off the last ball of the deciding match, and the true nature of Pakistan's challenge can be gauged.

Hard though it would be on Dion Nash, the smart move today might be to leave him out, ask Cairns to take the new ball and include Daniel Vettori in the hope that New Zealand win the toss and the pitch takes spin in the second half of the day. However, that is not a move that was apparently being contemplated yesterday, partly, perhaps, because Cairns, like Allan Donald, prefers not to use the new white ball because it swings so much. Cairns remains the most talented match-winner in the side and he has a golden chance this week finally to prove himself on the world stage.

Geoff Allott has been the most talked-about member of the New Zealand side - not surprisingly, since he is comfortably the tournament's highest wicket-taker. He has the additional personal incentive in this game of measuring himself against the finest exponent of left-arm swing bowling in the world, Wasim Akram, who may be only two matches away from retirement if, as he hopes, he is standing on the pavilion balcony on Sunday evening with the new World Cup trophy in his hands.

It is a scene that he has envisaged already. Asked yesterday how much longer he intends to play, he answered: "It all depends what happens in the next two matches. Winning the World Cup might be a good way to finish." This was the way that Imran Khan finished in 1992, but, at 33, Wasim is still capable of passing Kapil Dev's Test record of 434 wickets. He seems, too, to be relishing the fatherly lead that he has been giving to talanted young cricketers such as Shoaib Akhtar, Azhar Mahmood, Abdur Razzaq and Yousuf Youhana. Much, as Wasim says, will depend on what happens today and, as he does not say, on what the judge pronounces after the inquiry into bribery allegations when finally he passes judgment at the end of this tournament.

Yousuf's hamstring injury is still not sufficiently healed for him to be risked, but Mushtaq Mohammad, co-opted as coach for this tournament, said that he would be fit for Sunday if Pakistan beat New Zealand. Wasim added that Ijaz Ahmed, with ten one-day hundreds to his credit but only one score of significance in this tournament so far - the 51 that he made in the 62-run win against New Zealand in the group B match at Derby - is ripe for a big innings.

It is greatly to Pakistan's advantage that Saeed Anwar found his form again against Zimbabwe at the Oval - 16 one-day hundreds from 176 innings is a remarkable record - and Inzamam-ul-Haq, provided that he can avoid being involved in a sixth run-out, looks like another century-maker in waiting. With batsmen of this quality and bowlers as varied and gifted as Wasim, Shoaib and Saqlain, it is hard to see Pakistan being denied their place in the final, but if New Zealand win the toss and set them in excess of 240, somebody may have to play an innings like that of Steve Waugh on Sunday. The majority of the crowd will expect nothing less.

June 16, 1999

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