CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Islamabad, Sept 12: After a three-month lay- off a 15-member Pakistan cricket team led by Moin Khan leaves for Toronto via London on Monday morning to take on West Indies in a three-match one-day series.

For the World Cup finalists this will be the first international assignment after the submissive performance in the final against Australia at Lords.

Before proceeding to Toronto, the team will have one-night's stopover at London, where they will pose for a group photograph at Lords with the Pakistan Cricket Board ad hoc committee chairman Mujeebur Rahman who will also address a press conference at their hotel. Pakistan team will arrive in Toronto on 14th and will play its opening match against West Indies on 16th, the other two matches are scheduled for 18th and 19th.

Pakistan has made four changes in its World Cup team. It includes recall of left-arm opener Aamir Sohail, besides taking in three youngsters batsman Hasan Reza, Arshed Khan who bowls off-spinners and lanky right-arm-pacer Shabbir Ahmed who is a first time inclusion.

Vice-captain Saqlain Mushtaq will join the team in London. On Sunday, the team held a two-hour morning session at Redco ground. A lengthy team meeting was held at the hotel in the evening, during which rules/duties/responsibilities and commitments were clearly communicated. The meeting which started at 6.00 pm was still going on till the filing of this report. Manager Pakistan team, Yawar Saeed, was confident that there will not be any disciplinary problems, because the mode of communication has been very clear. The manager vowed that the team would not be lacking in effort, however, it needs a little time to build up a winning rhythm. "I am asking for eight weeks before this team would give the results everyone is expecting from them," he said while referring to the Australian tour.

The official added that the Toronto and Sharjah matches will be used to jell a rearing side and execute the "dream" of beating Australia on its soil.

He said work has already started to build up a strong team for the Australian tour, with Waseem Raja putting in expertise on the technical side. Boys are working hard, Yawar said.