Fear of trouble clouds showdown

There are those who think that the prospects of a trouble-free match are less bright. Past attempts by private promoters to pit teams representing these cricket-mad nations against each other on English soil have ended in trouble and when India beat Pakistan in the final of the world under-15 tournament at Lord's in 1996, a crowd of 8,000, far larger than had been expected, stopped the match and stole the stumps on two occasions.

Both these experiences and the political tension and military skirmishing in Kashmir have demanded careful planning to ensure that, in the words of Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive, "everyone will enjoy what should be a great game of cricket between two very fine sides". He pointed out that 80 per cent of tickets had been bought before the World Cup started or anyone knew which teams would be playing in this Super Six match. A further 20 per cent of the remaining tickets in a total of 20,500 were sold before it was known that India had qualified for this stage.

The possibility of trouble outside the ground has not been discounted in meetings between the club, the police, the local authority, community leaders and the security firm employed for big occasions, both by Lancashire and their neighbours, Manchester United. Cumbes said yesterday: "Every loophole has been closed. You can never be 100 per cent sure, but we think the security is in place to make sure everyone enjoys their day's cricket. One possibility is a risk of terrorism and there is a moderate risk of public disorder, but we are trying not to lose sight of the fact that this should be the game of the World Cup so far.

"Most people who follow cricket, no matter what race, colour or creed, know there are certain levels of behaviour. We'll never stop the idiots, but anyone coming on to the field during play itself will be ejected and we have certain precautions to ensure that the players and umpires get off the field safely. I have faith in the cricket-watching community to respect the safety of the players."

The players themselves will have a responsibility not to incite any reaction from the crowd, a fact that Raman Subba Row, the referee, has emphasised to both sides. "As long as they are friendly with each other, that's the important thing," he said.

They do, in fact, get on well, not least because of frequent matches in the past nine months, most of which have gone Pakistan's way: they lead India in one-day meetings by 45 to 25, with five no-results.

Anshuman Gaekwad, the India coach, said: "Both sets of players are quite friendly with each other. They are not affected at all by political differences at home."

The umpires today are probably the most respected of them all, David Shepherd and Steve Bucknor - neither a soft touch, both adept at diffusing any tension with a smile. They were on duty (with Subba Row as referee) when India and Pakistan last met in the World Cup, in the quarter-final at Bangalore, their first meeting in India for a decade. The expected trouble then, fanned in advance by political extremists, did not take place, partly perhaps because India won, but Wasim Akram's late withdrawal from the game because of injury caused much unpleasantness for him at home from those associated with betting on cricket. He was burnt in effigy and his father was subsequently kidnapped. It is as well, therefore, that he has declared his fitness for today, despite nearly missing the defeat by South Africa on Saturday because of problems with his blood sugar levels.

A diabetic, Wasim's all-round contribution as captain, chief inspiration, late-order hitter (dare I say poor man's Klusener?) and nonpareil swing bowler will be essential to Pakistan's chances of success today and, if necessary, tomorrow. He knows that a third successive defeat, after the unexpected one against Bangladesh and the nail-biting three-wicket reverse against South Africa on Saturday, could be fatal to hopes of winning the World Cup.

For the captain and several members of his team, the threat of an overdue pronouncement on the judicial inquiry into alleged bribery remains a constant worry and a potent reason for doing well in this tournament. If they were to win, it is conjectured, the World Cup heroes would be untouchable.

Yousuf Youhana, their composed young batsman - and a Christian in a side of several different religious convictions - is in doubt because of a pulled hamstring, so Shahid Afridi is expected to return to the side. But it is Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest bowler in the tournament, who may hold the key to the match.

Sourav Ganguly injured his right knee bowling in the nets on Sunday and is not certain to play today - Sadagopan Ramesh stands by - but Shoaib has the ability to blast through a top order as powerful even as India's. He needs to come back from a late mauling by Klusener, but Sachin Tendulkar is not a batsman calculated to restore any young bowler's confidence. The Indians may be playing for little more than pride after their defeat by Australia and the abandoned match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe at Headingley, but pride is sufficient against Pakistan.

Both sides were unhappy yesterday that the best indoor cricket facilities in the world were unavailable because they are being used for hospitality. They limbered up instead at the less suitable indoor bowls centre. A spokesman for Lancashire apologised, but said that the England and Wales Cricket Board had warned teams in advance that indoor facilities would not be available because hospitality would bring in "much-needed revenue". More fuel, alas, for criticism of the hosts.

June 8, 1999

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