The 2nd Test between Pakistan and England at Old Trafford will surely be a high stakes game. While England will go all out to win five series in a row, Pakistan desperately need a victory to stay in contention as a viable cricket team. A win for Pakistan is an absolute must not only for the team's rejuvenation but to regain some fighting spirit for the NatWest Triangular that follows. At Lords, Pakistan lost by an innings and performed miserably, well below their prowess and potential. Although they have the ability to bounce back but the way Pakistan crumble at the vital moment, one needs to think twice before declaring them favourites.

Of immediate concern, however, is the Manchester weather - will it allow the match be held at all and then played for enough days for a result? According to reports, while elsewhere the English domestic cricket has been relatively unaffected by the weather since the Lords Test, only one day's play has been possible at Old Trafford! Surely a dismal situation?

Glancing at Pakistan's previous ventures, one finds that all the three test matches played at Old Trafford in 1954, 1984 and 1992 were either interrupted or washed out by rain and drawn. So let's hope the weather god shows generosity towards the two teams and a host of cricket lovers who are keen to witness an exciting contest.

Sure of his team's aspirations of a victory, England's Chief Selector David Graveney has appealed to the English public to show up en masse to buck up their team. Injured skipper, sadly an armchair spectator, Nasser Hussain has also made a similar appeal to cricket fans of Asian origin.

On relative strength, there is no doubt England are riding high in morale, spirits as well as performance. The absence of Nasser Hussain is not likely to make much of a difference because acting skipper Alec Stewart is considered fully competent to handle the side. Having successfully done so on previous occasions he is fully trusted to lead the team to success.

As a batsman, Warwickshire opener Nick Knight replaces Nasser. Many think him to be a one-day specialist having scored only one century in 16 games and a test average of only 25. However, he has been selected for current prolific form in English domestic cricket, especially in one-day matches, scoring 4 centuries with an average of over 50.

Another likely change in the team may be the entry of Matthew Hoggard in place of Ryan Sidebottom who failed to take a wicket on debut at Lords. The resurgent England attack, spearheaded by the deadly duo of Darren Gough and Andy Caddick who demolished Pakistan at Lords shall, however, remain the deciding factor. England plans to put in the field a force comprising 7 batsmen and 4 best bowlers, depending on the pitch and weather.

Pakistan have suffered severe criticism after nose diving from 4th to 7th in international test rankings and now need to put in every ounce of energy to recover. The ten-day gap between the two tests must have been enough for a mental and physical shake up and rehabilitation as well as to make up for the 'inadequate preparation', cited as one of the reasons for the Lord's defeat.

It is said that success in a match largely depends on opening batsmen and opening bowlers. Unfortunately both failed for Pakistan at Lords. Clinching 5 wickets for 23 runs including a hat trick against Leicestershire, Waqar Younis showed devastating form with the ball. Similarly his new ball partner Wasim Akram claimed 4 wickets in this match as well. He is also on record having taken 5 wickets at Old Trafford during the 1992 tour. Possessing a thorough knowledge of the track he can be expected to keep the England batting in check or even help getting the side out for small totals.

By scoring an unbeaten century after earning a disappointing pair of ducks in the Lord's Test, opener Saleem Elahi must have regained his confidence. However, his place is at risk as there is talk of Abdur Razzaq as an opener and if selected, he needs a big score to justify his place in a future team. His partner Saeed Anwar is capable of bringing even the stars down but became the victim of poor shot selection. With a little more concentration he can turn into a match winner.

Though pitch and weather conditions cannot be taken as a yardstick, it may be recalled that Pakistan scored 505 for 9 and 239 for 5 at this venue in 1992. At Lord's Pakistan bought defeat by indiscriminately throwing away the wickets. If the batsmen manage to graft and play with responsibility, a big score could be expected.

The actual playing XI would be a major factor. Though skipper Waqar Younis and Coach Richard Pybus justified the selection of an all pacer squad for the Lord's Test, they came under burning criticism from the media and public for not including a spinner in the side. It may be great to play with all fast bowlers but variation is an important element that cannot be ignored. In Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed the team has two distinguished spinners. One of them is likely to make the team this time.

Whom to drop to accommodate a spinner is the question worthy of debate. Shoaib Akhtar or Azhar Mahmood? Coach Pybus is of the opinion that Shoaib is regaining his confidence and is close to the form he enjoyed two years ago. I would, however, drop him for his uncertain physical fitness. Azhar being a useful all rounder deserves to be retained.

Let us hope the uncertain weather does not jeopardize the Test. A decisive finish will be in the interest of both teams. It is expected to be a ferocious battle with the team not throwing away wickets and holding its catches to win.

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