In-form Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the final of the second Asian Test Championship at the Gaddafi stadium on Wednesday (March 6) amid tight security. The match marks the return of international cricket to Pakistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and Washington's subsequent bombing campaign in Afghanistan. Pakistan played only one home Test last year, against Bangladesh in August. New Zealand cancelled their tour of Pakistan four days after the attacks while Pakistan's home series against the West Indies was shifted to Sharjah. A large contingent of police will be deployed at Wednesday's match but both sides say they are unconcerned over security issues.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are both expected to battle hard in the biennial Championship final which was devalued by India's pullout last year. "It's disappointing India did not participate in the Championship but the show must go on and we are ready to put up our best show to become the new Asian champions," Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya said. "I have said this before and I maintain that players are relaxed and we don't have any security worries."

Pakistan won the first Championship beating Sri Lanka in the final at Dhaka, Bangladesh, by an innings and 175 runs in 1998-99. India participated in the Championship but have boycotted Pakistan since June 2000 over their Kashmir dispute. Their under-19 teams, however, met in the league game in the recently concluded Junior World Cup in New Zealand.

"Both teams are playing well recently so it will be an exciting Test match," Jayasuriya said.

Muttiah Muralitharan holds the key for the visitors, having run through Pakistan batting line-ups in Sri Lanka's last two series wins in Pakistan in 1995-96 and 1999-2000. "Muralitharan is our key player but other bowlers are also doing well so it would be a team effort," Jayasuriya said. Murali took 80 wickets in the last calendar year to help Sri Lanka to eight successive Test wins - all at home.

Pakistan hope to counter Murali through a well-grassed pitch at Lahore but Jayasuriya was not worried. "The pitch has grass and seems to have bounce and our batting has been supplementing the bowling so it doesn't matter where we play," he said.

Pakistan's captain Waqar Younis will face his first real challenge after winning the last six Tests in a row, three of them against Test minnows Bangladesh. "I know it's going to be tough but we are a balanced team and it would be an honour to successfully defend the title of best Asian team," Younis said.

Pakistan are weakened by the absence of Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar who have both been ruled unfit. "We have to try some other players and we have options available," said Younis, hinting Pakistan could enter the Test with four seamers, with allrounder Shoaib Malik used as an opener.

Younis acknowledged that Murali is a worry but was not overly perturbed. "All teams fear him, there is Murali pressure but they have only one and I won't say he is a threat."

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka thrashed Bangladesh by an innings margin in the Championship last year and mutually agreed to abandon their meaningless league game and just play the final. If the match ends in a draw both teams will share the trophy since they scored an equal number of points against Bangladesh.

Pakistan (from) Taufiq Umer, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul Haq, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Rashid Latif (wk), Abdur Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Waqar Younis (capt), Mohammad Zahid, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq, Faisal Iqbal.

Sri Lanka (from) Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sungakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekeratne, Thilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Buddhika Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Upul Chandana, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Dulip Liyanage.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd