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Karachi, Oct 23: Pakistan suffered a body blow when allrounder Azhar Mahmood was ruled out of the first one-day international against England to be played under floodlights at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

The match promises to be a full house with cricket starved enthusiasts set to turn up in huge numbers.

But the good news was that skipper Moin Khan, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq recovered in time from high temperature, sore throat and stomach upset respectively and will be playing in the first ever day/night match in city.

Azhar injured his right hand during a practice session on Sunday. And although the team officials tried to play down his injury, Azhar failed to take part in the training session on Monday with his wrist in bandage to confirm that he would miss the series opener.

Paceman Waqar Younis, only the second bowler after Wasim Akram to claim 300 wickets in one-day internationals, is expected to replace Azhar. The speedster, who also has more than 300 Test wickets, was not played in the ICC Knockout tournament in Kenya despite leading the national team in the previous competition in Singapore.

Pakistan were also set to recall wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmad to pair him with Saqlain Mushtaq in an effort to exploit Englishmen's vulnerability to quality spinners.

Pakistan have to be very quick in the ground if they take the field first because despite having spinners, they have often fallen behind the over-rate. Similarly, they will be hoping that there is no dew if they field second because the dew will make the ball wet and would thus neutralize their (spinners') effectiveness.

The other change in the team is expected to be of Salim Elahi who scored back-to-back centuries, including a superbly hit 120 off 103 balls against a full strength England attack. Salim will, however, bat at the pivotal one-down position while Imran Nazir, despite an average performance in the last nine matches in which he averaged just 21 with 80 as his top score, will keep his place as Saeed Anwar's partner.

England, on the other hand, are expected to make just one change in the team that gave Pakistan hopefuls a cricket lesson the other day when they won by 10 wickets inside 30 overs. Matthew Hoggard is likely to pave the way for Yorkshire allrounder Craig Whites.

The Englishmen have made a perfect start to their 57-day tour of Pakistan with two victories. The tourists would be particularly pleased with the performance of Marcus Trescothick who scored a century and half century in the two matches. Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain and Graeme Hick have also got useful runs under their belts.

But facing a star-studded Pakistan bowling attack will be a different preposition for the tourists. England skipper Nasser Hussain was quick to realize that.

"We can't belt the Pakistan bowling attack for 50 overs and score 350 runs like we did the other day. If we have to win a match on this tour, we will have to play really hard and try to stay in the game as long as possible," Hussain told journalists at a press conference.

Hussain conceded that Pakistan started as favourites "because it had a multi-dimensional side with excellent allrounders, fine spinners and brilliant batters.

"Of course it is a great feeling to go into the match with victories under the belt. We did everything right in the practice matches. We batted first in on Friday and then gave our bowlers a feel for the heat on Sunday. But I tell you it is very tough out there. It is very sweaty and the weather is very hot."

Hussain, the Essex captain, agreed that his players would be trying to capitalize on the home pressure which will be on Pakistan. But he disagreed when asked if the reports of recent rift in the Pakistan team would also be an added advantage.

"We have been hearing (this) for the last 70 years that there are rifts in the team. But whenever they (players) take the field, they play excellently. It is because they take so much pride in their cricket.

"If we are ranked fifth, it is justified because we have never been consistent against the top four teams. And Pakistan is definitely second best after Australia," Hussain said.

Pakistan captain Moin Khan was cautious but confident ahead of the match which has generated a lot of interest amongst the cricket fans because of England's first tour in 13 years.

"The confidence of the players is high. They are positive and very much focused on Tuesday's match," he said.

Moin dispelled impressions that England were push-overs. "They are a very good professional team. They have very decent bowlers and their batting is pretty strong and formidable. We will have to show a lot of discipline in the field if we have to win the match."

Pakistan will have to be extra cautious against Darren Gough who bowls four overs in the first spell and then returns around the 25-over mark to successfully get the reverse swing going. In Trescothick and Mark Ealham, England have bowlers who rely on accuracy than speed.

Pakistan have had a poor recent one-day performance at home. They were blanked out by both Australia in 1998 and then by Sri Lanka earlier this year. Against England, Pakistan lost the 1987 one-day series 3-0, 1992 series 4-1 and 1996 rubber 2-1.

Pakistan will surely start as favourites for Tuesday's game but complacency will be their biggest enemy.

Pakistan have lost the last four one-day matches at the National Stadium.

Teams (likely)

ENGLAND: Marcus Trescothick, Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain (captain), Graeme Hick, Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White, Mark Ealham, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough. Vikram Solanki (12th man)

PAKISTAN: Saeed Anwar, Imran Nazir, Salim Elahi, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan (captain), Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad. Faisal Iqbal (12th man)

UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Riazuddin

MATCH REFEREE: Barry Jarman (Australia).

© Dawn