**Official** India v Pakistan
 

The clash of two giants of Asian cricket..... A cracker of a series in offing.....

can't wait, hope india crushes pak this time ... btw anyone in US know if dishnetwork is going to telecast this one on PPV as well? ... sure hope so!

I repeat my predictions... Tests = India and ODIs = Pakistan.

I think India will surely emerge as winner in test series.....But the ODI series looks to go down the wire.....

Shoaib might not make it to the Indian tour!
 

Shoaib doubtful for India

By Our Sports Correspondent


LAHORE, Feb 2: Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is doubtful starter for Indian tour later this month. Back from Australia due to fitness problem , Shoaib reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Tuesday night and visited his old friend and doctor Tauseef Razzaq for the treatment on Wednesday.

Mr Tauseef told reporters that Shoaib needed at least four weeks to recover from hamstring problem. "If Shoaib starts playing before this period (four-week) his injury may aggravate," Tauseef said.

Shoaib is also not receiving positive indication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and he could face an inquiry into the reports about his visiting a night club in Australia and his overall attitude towards the team management.

The PCB chairman, it had been reported, had said that Shoaib would not be the automatic choice for the Indian tour. Surprisingly, Shoaib visited Dr Tauseef who is not on the PCB panel. Tauseef, who was the head of the PCB medical panel during former chairman PCB Lt Gen. Tauqir Zia's tenure had been sacked by the present PCB chairman.

If Akhtar doesn't play then India will probably going to beat Pak 3-0 in the test series, as Gul is already out of the series while Shabbir has very little chances of making it.

A bowling lineup comprising of Rana Naveed, Sami, Razzak,Khalil/Asif and Danish simply can't bowl out India twice.

Akhtar's absence will be disaster for Pakistan.

Irfan Pathan will destroy the Pakistanis, he is the best up and coming young fast-ish bowler

..not sure abt destroying, but yes good prospect Indians will still rely on batsmen as usual

He's their best current bowler apart from kumble

HI Guys, this is my first post here.

India Vs. Pakistan.

So this is how it goes for me. Pakistan is coming in india almost after a 8 years. So the series is supposed to be cracker. 3 Tests and 5 ODIs is a good format, Rather decisive. I hope Sachin will get fit for the series. So does Shoeib.

Indians are out of match practice, i hope they'll come back well. Venues are a bit problematic.

1)Mohali:- Fair, long time no test there. So its a fair venue, hard pitch, lush green outfield, great ground. (Lucky for Sehvag)

2)Ahmedabad:-Problems. Nothing pitch. No team will be able to get 20 wickets, possibly a venue where matches ended as draw.

3)Banglore/Kanpur:-(I am not confirmed about the 3rd one) But both gound hosted a test recently, (one vs SA and other vs AUS) so why give them another match, why not Kolkata, or Dehli?

If Akhtar doesn't play in the tests, I'll be quietly confident that India will come out on top fairly comfortably. They need an all-out strike bowler in the tests. ODIs they can get away with their current bowling line-up due to their long and quite strong batting line-up who when on song can destroy any opposition. If Afridi and Razzaq can put away McGrath, Gillespie and Kaspa, they will definitely be a danger against our ODI bowlers.

Should be a great series.

I know I'm wondering about the same thing. I went to their website and found nothing. It would be a pity if they didnt show a series like this one.

That might be a blessing in disguise for Pakistan. Indian batsmen will take them too lightly and will get a shocking to find out how these bowlers greatly improved on the Australian tour.

My predictions: 2-1 for India in the tests... and 3-2 for Pakistan in the ODIs. This will definetely be a great series. I can't wait. May the best team win.

I think Balaji, if he can get into the kind of form he was right before his injury in September, poses a big threat to the Pakistanis and has always been underestimated as a bowler. It aint easy to forget his performance in the last test versus Pak and so I hope he'll do well in the Challenger Series that's coming up.