Pakistan could miss speedsters

Pakistan could miss speedsters on bouncy Mohali pitch

Mohali: When Pakistan take on New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international encounter at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) ground here Wednesday, they will definitely miss the services of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif on a "hard-rolled and bouncy track".

Till Monday evening, it was not the Pakistani side which was going the extra yard to practice in the early winter chill of north India. Though some Pakistan players did come out to practice later in the evening, it was the New Zealanders who sweated it out at the nets.

"The weather here is much cooler and suited to us and we have a history of winning here," said New Zealand opening batsman Lou Vincent, who himself had scored a century here last time that he played.

The Pakistan side, which has been camping in Chandigarh, 10 km from here, since Thursday, has not had a full-fledged cricket practice over the last four days.

All that the Pakistan players did was to have some fielding practice for two hours in a stadium in Chandigarh, play football, watch a couple of Hindi movies, do sight-seeing and shopping, enjoy Diwali festivities and dine at the residence of their liaison officer.

No one from the Pakistan team management was willing to comment on whether the lack of practice till now would affect the team that has two ODIs - Oct 25 against New Zealand and Oct 27 against South Africa - lined up here.