After their disappointing performance in the third and final Test at Port Elizabeth which enabled South Africa to square the series,
Pakistan on their second leg of the hour play their first of the two Tests against Zimbabwe at Queen's Sports Club tomorrow (Saturday) aiming to put up a better batting performance than they have been able to do so far.
The two young bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Fazal-e-Akbar who were reportedly ordered, according to some media men accompanying the team, to return to Pakistan for disciplinary reasons, were seen practicing in the morning at the Queen's Club.
According to Rashid Latif, the Pakistan captain, the two had violated the code of conduct of the tour by staying out until late in the night but a decision to send them back home was never taken.
``They have apologised and have been fined,'' said Rashid.
It is not likely though that the two will be considered in this series. Wasim Akram with slight fever is expected to recover by the morning of the match to partner Waqar Younis and Azhar Mahmood will be the third seamer.
Mushtaq Ahmed is still unwell with fever. Instead off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq would be included in the team which is likely to be strengthened with the inclusion of an extra batsman which could be Yousaf Youhana who made his debut in the second Test a Durban against South Africa.
Playing with one batsman short in the final Test at Port Elizabeth had cost them the match. They have, it is hoped, learnt from that mistake and will not take a chance here to falter for the second time on this tour.
Zimbabwe led by Alistair Campbell have been back in their country only a couple of days ago after a disappointing tour of New Zealand.
Against Pakistan this will be their fourth series. Twice in Pakistan in 1993-94 and in 1996 they have been beaten in the series by a margin of 2-0 and 1-0 and at home in Pakistan's only visit here in 1994-95 they lost the series 1-2 having defeated Pakistan in the first Test at Harare by an innings. That victory by Zimbabwe still remains their only win in a Test against any country. The Test defeat was then followed by the match-fixing and bribery allegations by the Australians against Salim Malik, the then Pakistan captain.
In the Test at Bulawayo in 1994-95, Pakistan had won comfortably by eight wickets on the third day on a wicket which had developed uneven bounce. The pitch at Queen's now appears to be a batting wicket and the side winning the toss would most likely choose to bat first. The Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, the captain Alistair Campbell Guy Whittal and Murray Goodwin, Pom Mbangwa are the backbone of the batting. Heath Streak, Bryan Strang will be the men who will take the new ball and Paul Strang, the leg-spinner is now a successful allrounder who played for Kent last summer. He will be aided by off-spinner Andrew Whittal. Both spinners are likely to play.
The teams:
PAKISTAN: Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Rashid Latif, Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Ali Naqvi, Mohammad Wasim.
ZIMBABWE: Andy Flower, Alistair Campbell, Guy Whittal, Andrew Whittal, Paul Strang, Bryan Strang, Pom Mbangwa, Heath Streak Derk Viljoen, Murray, Goodwin, Trevor Madando.
Umpires: David Shepherd, Ian Robinson. Referee: Graham Dowling.