Besides Pakistan, teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and India will take part in the three-day competition.

For the first time, cricket and squash have been included in disciplines of the 16th Commonwealth Games to be organised in Kuala Lumpur from September 11 to 21. The Super-Eight Tournament, being played on single-league basis, may serve as a dress-rehearsal for the cricket event of Commonwealth Games which will be participated by all the top cricket-playing nations of the world.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman told Dawnon Wednesday that Taimur Khan flew from Peshawar to join captain Basit Ali, Shahid Afridi, Muhammad Zahid and wicketkeeper Javed Qadeer in Karachi. Manager Shariq Mahmood, along with Muhammad Husain, Salim Elahi, Zahid Fazal and Abdul Razzaq boarded a plane in Lahore to catch the connecting flight in Karachi for onward journey to Kuala Lumpur along with the other members of the team.

Such competitions of limited-over matches have special attraction for spectators. The five teams, consisting of some excellent stroke-players and fine bowlers, should make the tournament more enjoyable for the Malaysians. Incidentally, Malaysia is an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The Pakistan team consists of exciting stroke-players like Basit Ali, Zahid Fazal, Salim Elahi, Taimur Khan, paceman Muhammad Zahid and all-rounders Shahid Afridi, Muhammad Husain and Abdul Razzaq. Although the other four participating teams have an edge over the Pakistan side in fielding, a department which plays decisive role in decisions of limited-over matches, yet Pakistan has a good chance of winning the tournament.

Pakistan teams looks quite balanced and much will depend of how the boys click as a team under the leadership of anexperienced Test cricketer like Basit Ali. It has good batsmen,pacemen and spinners. The other participating teams, namely Australia,South Africa, India and New Zealand are formidable, particularly in limited-over games, but not invincible. On its day, the Pakistan team has the capability to defeat any other team of the world.

The team is: Basit Ali (captain), Salim Elahi, Shahid Afridi, Zahid Fazal, Muhammad Husain, Muhammad Zahid, Abdul Razzaq, Taimur Khan, wicketkeeper Javed Qadeer. Manager: Shariq Mahmood.

The programme of the tournament is:

July 17 (Friday): First match between Pakistan and Australia from 9:30 am to 11:30 am; Second match between South Africa and New Zealand from 11:40 am to 1:30 pm; Third match between Australia and India from 1:50 pm to 3:30 pm; Fourth match between Pakistan and South Africa from 4 pm to 6 pm.

July 18 (Saturday): Fifth match between and New Zealand and India from 9:30 am to 11:30 am; Sixth match between Australia and South Africa from 11:40 am to 1:30 pm; Seventh match between Pakistan and India from 1:30 pm; Eighth match between Australia and New Zealand from 4 pm to 6 pm.

July 19 (Sunday): Ninth match between India and South Africa from 10 am to 12 noon; Tenth match between Pakistan and New Zealand from 12:15 pm to 2:15 pm. Final from 3 pm to 5 pm.