Pakistan trump card

As a long-term opening gambit for next year's World Cup in England, South Africa's triangular series hopes seem more like a long shot in the dark than a realistic attempt to scare the former and current title-holders.

Criticism of a side with too many old hands on board also creates a problem as Pakistan, winners in 1992, meet South Africa today in the first of the opening matches of the Standard Bank Triangular tournament.

On Sunday Sri Lanka, whose flamboyant tactics enabled them to win the 1996 crown, get a chance to takle a South African squad whose average age shot from 26 to 33 with the selection of Steve Elworthy, Mike Rindel and Pat Symcox.

The compliant here is whether the three are going to be around 12 months from now as South Africa, not long back from six weeks in New Zealand, prepare for the 1999 event in England during May and June.

At Kingsmead in Durban today Wasim Akram, who destroyed England in the 1992 final, will have Waqar Younis as his partner to give South Africa a genuine taste of the problems they have faced before. And the pace pair, just back from a successful 2-0 victory over lowly Zimbabwe, South Africa might find their first match of the series a little tougher than they are prepared to admit.

Yet Pakistan, hit by injuries, are battling to field a spinner and there is some doubt about Aamir Sohail, who played an important dual role in Melbourne in 1992, passing muster for today's game. In fact the tourists, joined yesterday by teenage all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, are still bothered about their bowling attack.

Apart from Wasim and Waqar there are worries about Shoiab Akhtar while Shahid Afridi's and Azhar Mahmood's all-round capabilities should be further tested by the reshaped South African line-up.

South Africa's top-order strategy is still a problem child as the options available need to be carefully examined. In Australia Gary Kirsten had five opening partners during the WSC series, starting with Jacques Kallis, then Lance Klusener, Herschelle Gibbs and Daryll Cullinan before Adam Bacher was given a chance in the final game.

It is a story which tells how the selectors were unable to hit on a consistent pairing throughout the series. Which begs the question whether Rindel, the most consistent scorer in domestic limited-overs competition over the past two seasons will not find himself batting at three with perhaps Kallis, Klusener or Gibbs given a run in the first three or four matches.

Interesting speculation, although it was Hansie Cronje who, three years ago, told Rindel he was to open the innings with the left-hander going on to score a century.

As for Sri Lanka, their practice session at the Wanderers gave no hint at all how they are planning their programme. Injuries have weighed them down with problems they would prefer not to entertain. What has helped the has been an agreement to extrend the two squads to 16.

But the Sanath Jayasuriya/Romesh Kaluwitharana partnership has the reputation for devastation on a large scale. And the Lankans can still cause a surprise or two.

One interesting departure is that all but the games at Kingsmead and Paarl are day matches to nullify the dew factor which played havoc with South Africa's series against Australia a year ago.

Squads

South Africa (from): Hansie Cronje (capt), Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Mike Rindel, Daryll Culliann, Jonty Rhodes, Herschelle Gibbs, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Lance KLusener, Derek Crookes, Pat Symcox, Roger Telemachus, Allan Donald Steve Elorthy

Pakistan (from): Rashid Latif, Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram. Moin Khan, Ijaz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq, Waqar Younis, Mohammed Wasim, Shahid Afridi, Shoiab Akhtar, Yousuf Youhana, Mohammad Hussain.

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvin Atapattu, Russel (rpt Russel) Arnold, Kumara Dhamasena, Rhoshan Mahanama, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga (capt), Hashan Tillekaratne, Roshan Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Sanjeewa de Silva, Mahela Jayawrdene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi Pushpakumara, Pramodya Wickramsinghe

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