Salahuddin Ahmed (Sallu) Photo © CricInfo

Whether injury-prone Shoaib Akhtar features in the first Test at Lord's on May 17 or not, Pakistan seem to have started the tour on a cordial note, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) unequivocally coming out with a clarification that Shoaib's bowling action was not under scrutiny. For the uninitiated, some press reports in England had suggested that Shoaib's action was being reviewed by the two umpires who stood in the three-dayer between Derbyshire and the visitors.

The denial, and also the fact that it came quickly, not only nipped the controversy in the bud, it also showed that fences between the ECB and the PCB were in good repair. This augurs well for the tour, and one can hope that this spirit of camaraderie would be lasting.

As for the truncated two-Test rubber, which in itself has come in for some criticism, Nasser Hussain would obviously be wanting to augment the quartet of successes achieved at home and abroad, while Waqar Younis would surely be hoping to regain some measure of consistency to beat England in its own backyard, thus avenging the series loss back home last winter. The Pakistanis are certainly capable of achieving this end, a fact acknowledged by the England captain. But for Pakistan, its formidable strength on paper often, especially of late, has not translated into results on the ground. So, the captain and the team would have to draw deep into their resources and perform with a lot of zeal and commitment to win against a determined England.

One good thing is that the discord between some key players, such as Younis and Akram, has apparently been healed. That, and the motivation level of each and every player would play an important role in the end result.

A word about the youngsters - Mohammad Wasim, Saleem Elahi, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Sami and Faisal Iqbal - in the Pakistan squad. Some of them would definitely get opportunities to display their wares. They would be in high-pressure situations. What they need to remember is that those who come out of such situations with flying colours mostly become top professionals and have long and successful careers. So there is an additional incentive for them to prove themselves now.

For Pakistan, as ever, it would be a matter of putting enough runs on the board, for it surely has the attack to bowl England out twice. The doubts are about the batting delivering the goods. And if it could shed its traditional brittleness in seaming conditions, there is every hope that Pakistan would do well. The trio of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana - all three experienced, all three class players - would have to lead batting effort. Only Anwar has been amongst the runs so far, his highest on the tour being a spectacular double hundred against Kent. While I'm sure Inzamam and Youhana too would be amongst the runs soon, Anwar's form is really encouraging, and if he takes it into the Tests, Pakistan would be well served. Anwar's form is critical, because once the top order contributes a healthy share of runs, it is always easier for the middle and lower order to add to the pile.

The main thing here would be the resolve to stay in the middle for long durations, despite the seam and the swing, and to put a very high value on their wickets. If they did that, partnerships would flourish and a good total would be posted.

While there is no disputing that Pakistan has a really potent attack, still it sometimes fails to get key wickets. An example is that of Derbyshire's Mathew Dowman, an under-19 player who went on to make a hundred and ensured a draw for his much-depleted outfit. Against an England side most likely packed with seven batsmen, the Waqar-led attack will have to be at its penetrative best to keep England within limits. So the onus is not just on batting alone.

Ed: Salahuddin Ahmed (Sallu) is a former Test cricketer, and has served as a PCB selector nine times; his last stint (1999-2000) was as chief selector.

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