Pakistan's last Test series win was way back in 1958-59 when Fazal Mahmood's team beat F.C.M Alexander's squad 2-1. But since then, the two teams have faced each other in seven series' with the West Indies winning four, including the one in 1980-81 under Clive Lloyd who is here as manager.
Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was shocked when the statistics became known to him. ``Amazing. Are you sure we haven't beaten the West Indies in 39 years?'' he questioned.
``I think, I will have to tell this fact to the boys. It should play an integral role in pumping them up,'' he added.
But Wasim Akram's ambitions of becoming the first Pakistan captain to win a series after so long may not be as easy as it may appear looking at the moment with West Indies mustering a match-winning combination. In a mind-boggling decision, the team management has decided to go in the Test with just five batsmen. Interestingly, it has been the batting which led Pakistan down against South Africa at Faisalabad when the entire team was skittled out for a mere 92 while chasing a modest 146 for victory.
Also in the quadrangular tournament, Pakistan stroke-makers just failed to score consistently and clicked in bits and pieces. Moreover, Saeed Anwar has just not scored enough runs in the series against South Africa and so has Ijaz Ahmad. Aamir Sohail will be playing his second Test in more than a year and Mohammad Wasim has played only four Tests since making his debut against New Zealand last year. That leaves only Inzamamul Haq, Moin Khan and Azhar Mahmood whose form may be instrumental in Pakistan's bid to get enough runs against an aging but experienced West Indies bowling of Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop and Courtney Walsh.
In this background, Pakistan would have been wiser had they gone into the series opener with six specialist batsmen and four bowlers, including allrounders Azhar Mahmood and Wasim Akram.
The remaining two slots could have been shared by the spinning duo of Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq. But, the team management are expected to surprise the followers of the game here again.
Uncapped local boy Arshad Khan is tipped to replace Saqlain Mushtaq and will be asked to play the role of stopping the flow of runs instead of attacking the batsmen - the job likely to be taken care of by Akram, Mahmood, Shahid Nazir and Mushtaq Ahmad.
Arshad, if gets the cap, will become the fifth player after Ali Naqvi, Mohammad Ramazan, Azhar Mahmood and Ali Husain Rizvi to make debut this season.
The exclusion of Saqlain Mushtaq will be another debatable decision. The off-spinner has credited himself with 46 wickets in 12 Tests yet the team management feels that he is not bowling according to the requirements of Test cricket.
``We have delayed the announcement of the team till Monday morning. We want to decide whether we should go with three spinners or three pacers,''said Akram.
Akram, however, refused to make any comment on the expected exclusion of Saqlain Mushtaq, except saying: ``Well, we may take a chance with Arshad Khan. I don't think he is bad bowler.''
The preference for Shahid Nazir to speed merchant Waqar Younis is another decision which has not been welcomed by the experts of the game. Younis, in six Tests against the West Indies, has claimed 35 wickets at 19.14. Overall, Younis has captured 231 wickets in 46 Tests. The West Indies, on the contrary, have also delayed the announcement of their team.
Nevertheless, the focus of the series will be Brian Lara, the world record holder of highest score in Tests (375) and first-class cricket (501 not out). Lara also made his debut at the Karachi Test in 1990-91 when the Windies came here the last time for a Test series. Lara, however, accompanied the West Indies team for the World Cup quarter-final against South Africa and showed his magic by scoring a match-winning century which sent South Africa crashing out of the event. Besides Lara, at least two batsmen - opener Philo Wallace and Carl Hooper - have shown form by scoring centuries in the four-dayer at Rawalpindi last week. But an uncapped Wallace might just lose out to Sherwin Campbell and Stuart Williams who have been opening the West Indies batting in the recent past.
Left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Phil Simmons may complete the West Indies batting lineup while the bowling may comprise Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop. The tourists may award Test cap to Intikhab Alam's prodigy, Rawl Lewis, the right-arm leg-spinner. The pitch prepared for the Test is void of any grass and was expected to suit the spinners from the third day and onwards. On the first two days, it may play friendly with the batsmen. Given the conditions, the side winning the toss will definitely opt to bat first because batting last may prove hazardous.
All said and done, a gruelling Test series, excepted to be full of thrilling cricket, starts on Monday. Pakistan, despite all selectorial problems, still has an edge.
Teams (to be selected from):
PAKISTAN: Wasim Akram (captain), Saeed Anwar (vice-captain), Aamir Sohail, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamamul Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Moin Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Shahid Nazir, Mushtaq Ahmad, Arshad Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq and Ali Naqvi.
WEST INDIES: C.A Walsh (captain), B.C Lara (vice-captain), C.E.L Ambrose, I.R Bishop, S.L Campbell, S Chanderpaul, M Dillon, R.I.C Holder, C.L Hooper, R.N Lewis, F.A Rose, P.V Simmons, P.A Wallace, D Williams and S.C Williams.
UMPIRES: David Shepherd (England) and Mian Said Shah (Pakistan).
TV UMPIRE: Javed Akhtar (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: Raman Subba Raw (England).