Akram wants to match the legendary Imran Khan as Pakistan's only captain to win all the Tests in a series and end Pakistan's golden jubilee cricket season on a winning note.
Imran's side whitewashed the Kim Hughes-led Australians 3-0 in the 1982-83 series, Pakistan's only clean sweep in 45 years and 242 Tests. ``I see no reason why we cannot achieve that,'' Akram said, ``It would also be a personal triumph for me as captain and I would be very happy to be among very few who beat West Indies in all Tests of a series.'' ``It is now an obsession for me to become the first captain (in 69 years) to humble the West Indies,'' he added.
Pakistan, who won the first two Tests by an innings and 19 runs and an innings and 29 runs, have lost none of the 31 Tests played in Karachi, winning 16 and drawing the rest.
They have beaten the West Indies twice here and drawn the other three Tests.
But the West Indies have vowed to do all they can to avoid the ignominy of a whitewash-a fate their captain Courtney Walsh, coach Malcolm Marshall and manager Clive Lloyd were more used to inflicting on other sides in happier times for Caribbean cricket.
Windies captain Courtney Walsh insisted: ``It has never happened in 69 years and won't happen this time.''
``It would make a lot of difference if we end up 2-1 or at least 2-0,'' he continued, ``I have told the boys to put up their best and would like to end the series with a win.''
The last time West Indies lost all three Tests in a series was against England in 1929.
Marshall believes there is a lot of pride left to play for in the final Test.
``I think that (our) players have the capabilities to fight back from any situation,'' he said.
The pitch, described as ``ugly and lifeless'' by Marshall a week ago, seems dry and flat but groundsman Hussain Khan maintains it will assist both batsmen and bowlers.
Walsh, too, believes that ``it's just like a true Pakistani wicket, dry and flat''. Akram, however, is not complaining.
``It looks flat and dry but with our varied attack we can produce a result on it,'' he said.
Star batsman Brian Lara has managed just 56 runs off 86 balls in the first two Tests, scoring three, 37, 15 and one. But on the ground where he scored a scintillating century against South Africa in the quarterfinals of the 1996 World Cup, West Indies are again pinning their hopes on him.
But there is less optimism about the form of 34-year-old main paceman Curtly Ambrose who has 307 wickets in 74 Tests but has taken just one wicket in the two Tests so far. The touring selection committee decided to rest the Antiguan, who has been bothered by back and stomach problems. Trinidad and Tobago's Mervyn Dillon has been called up in his stead.
Batsman Philo Wallace also has stomach problems and could lose his place in the team to Roland Holder.
Pakistan seemed likely to dispense with middle-order batsman Mohammad Wasim or pacer Shoaib Akhtar to give a Test cap to 27-year-old Karachi batsman Manzoor Akhter who scored a century against South Africa in a warm-up game in October.
And they are hoping for a return to form of opener Saeed Anwar after a string of failures in his last five Tests. Saeed, holder of the highest individual score in One-day cricket, managed just 40 runs in five innings against South Africa and 65 and 16 in two innings in this series.