England skipper Michael Atherton and his Pakistan counterpart
Wasim Akram have a good personal rapport going - and it is this
mutual respect and friendship, acquired through sharing a Lancashire dressing room for eight years now, that they are banking
on to keep the upcoming Test series between the two countries
free of the kind of controversy earlier tours attracted.
The controversial autobiographies recently published by former umpire David Constant and former England star Allan Lamb, dwelling at length on ball-tampering allegations during Pakistan's last tour in 1992, are what will be on the minds of both Akram and Atherton. ''Both teams, in the coming months, will need to maintain their sense of perspective,'' Atherton said. ``And this is the responsibility of both Wasim and myself, as there will be many distractions - High Court cases, untimely autobiographies and umpires jumping on the bandwagon. But I hope,'' Atherton, speaking on the eve of the first Cornhill Test at Lord's, said, `` that our friendship will win the day and that while the cricket will be competitive on the field, commonsense will prevail off it.''
Wasim, for his part, would like to concentrate on ensuring that his side wins both the Test and one-day series, if only to wipe out the stigma of the side's defeat by arch-rivals India in the quarterfinal of the Wills World Cup. ``Things are bound to heat up at some point on the field,'' Akram admitted, ``but my relationship with both David Lloyd and Athers will help if there are any problems.''
Does the fact of sharing a room for the county - and, presumably, discussing tactics during their leisure time - breed in the two rivals a thorough knowledge of each other's strategic thinking? ''We know each other and our expressions so well because we have played together for so long,'' agreed Wasim. ''We are good friends and go out for dinner quite a lot.''
Atherton was a guest at Akram's Lahore home, when England went to Pakistan for the Wills World Cup.
And David Lloyd, also of Lancashire and now coach of the England side, is another person whom Akram holds in respect. ``I'm really pleased that David has become England coach - I have been saying for three years now that he should get that job.He is very good at analysing the other team.''
With all this goodwill going for them, the series which begins Thursday should be free of the sort of controversy the last one stirred up. But then again, fireworks are a cert - Pakistan has ample reason to want to go flat out for a win, given the riot-like situations they faced back home after their World Cup loss. And England, too, would like to pull off a win - if only to prove that their recent triumphs against India were no flash in the pan, but the harbinger of a cricketing renaissance.