Pakistan may have a bowling attack containing some frequently angry lions, but they were all purring like contented pussy-cats when they arrived at Auckland Airport today to prepare for their five one-day and three Test tour of New Zealand.

The Pakistanis will open their tour with a One-Day International against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.

In fact Javed Miandad, the great batsman and former Pakistan captain whose career has survived some furious storms on the way to him becoming coach, seemed to be practising for a career in the diplomatic corps when answering questions freely at an airport press conference.

Asked whether he regarded Pakistan as strong favourites to beat a New Zealand team with only one recent win, Miandad said in the last meeting of the two teams, at the ICC KnockOut one-day tournament at Kenya, New Zealand had played very well to beat Pakistan on the way to beating India and taking the title.

These days, said Miandad, it was difficult to judge whether a team was favoured to win, especially in the unpredictable one-dayers.

"I would like to wish good luck to both the teams, but particularly to the Pakistan team," said the smiling Miandad.

"We are looking forward to this tour, many of our players have been here before, and we hope you people will look after us."

Miandad was pleased with the mixture of hard-won experience and youthful promise in the 15-man touring team, but inevitably the talk turned to what may be the best-balanced bowling attack in international cricket.

Wasim Akram, the champion among champions was not there today. His wife recently had a baby in England, Wasim has visited her and will join the tour later this week.

But his great attacking-mate Waqar Younis, looking slim and trim, was there, plus the lithe Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest of this fearsome trinity. Mushtaq Ahmed, the leg-spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq, the off-spinner, and Shahid Afridi, the wrist-spinning all-rounder round off a formidable bowling attack equipped to succeed on all manner of pitches.

Miandad also nominated Mohammad Sami as a young fast bowler with a fine future - "he is quite sharp."

When asked whether Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis might be in the twilight of their careers, Miandad was emphatic that both were in very good form.

"They have been around for a long time, but they have great experience and I feel they are bowling as fast as they ever did. They are certainly not finished as international bowlers.

"They still have a great pride in playing for Pakistan.

Fakir Aizazuddin, the Pakistan manager, maintained that Wasim still had the ability to bowl out any batsman in the world from a three-pace run up.

"He is one of the all-time greats."

All the same, the manager and the coach allowed that at least one senior bowler might have to be left out when the Pakistanis were picking their teams for the international matches.

Miandad also picked Imran Farhat as the most promising of the young batsmen in the side - "he is an opening bat and scored well in five matches before we left home."

The Pakistanis plan a solid training schedule leading up to Saturday's match, with Wasim Akram and Moin Khan (the captain required for an ICC meeting in Melbourne) completing the touring party this week.

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