12 lines
3 KiB
Text
12 lines
3 KiB
Text
Pakistan arrive for tour of India
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OGVB-726B
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The 16-man squad, along with coach Bob Woolmer and support staff, were met at the heavily guarded Indira Gandhi airport after a 45-minute flight. Armed guards kept vigil as the tourists were taken to their hotel along a six-mile route lined with security men. Hindu fundamentalists have threatened to protest over perceived Pakistani backing to militancy in Kashmir. "I am delighted to be back in India," captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said. "I have always enjoyed playing here because people are crazy about cricket. "I am not worried about security. My only concern is how my team plays on the tour." Series between India and Pakistan are always eagerly awaited, largely because politics often restrict the amount of cricket the two teams can play against each other.
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This particular engagement, which will include three Tests and six one-dayers, was twice threatened. The schedule has already been put back four days over a dispute which centred on Pakistan's refusal to play the second Test in Ahmedabad. The first Test in Mohali will now get under way on 8 March. Then, following a protracted row over television rights, the Madras High Court issued interim orders to ensure the matches would be broadcast live by state=owned channel Doordarshan. Inzamam beseeched his side to make up for the 2004 defeat to India on home soil, where they lost 2-1 in the Tests and 3-2 in the one-day internationals. He said: "We want to make amends for last year. "The Australian tour was a big learning experience and I think we are in a position to reap benefits in India." After the 2004 series, Pakistan sacked their coach Javed Miandad and replaced him with Woolmer. Inzamam believes Woolmer has improved the side even if a string of positive results have not yet come.
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He said: "A lot has changed since that series. Woolmer has helped change the attitude of the boys, which is more positive and professional and I think they can take the pressure of playing in India." Pakistan will be without strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar (hamstring), leaving recalled off-spinner Arshad Khan and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria with much work to do. Inzamam said: "Shoaib's absence will be felt. But our strength is playing as a unit. "[Khan and Kaneria] have a big role to play. They are the ones on whom we will be depending a lot in the Test matches. "We are expecting slow, turning tracks and we have been practicing for such conditions." Pakistan's first match is a three-day warm-up against the Indian Board President's XI in Dharamsala from March 3.
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Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji.
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Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria, Muhammad Sami, Rana Naved, Muhammad Khalil.
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