LAHORE, 16 October 2003 — Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan says he is extremely nervous about his comeback against South Africa tomorrow after 30 months on the international sidelines.

“Right now I feel the same way that I felt when I was preparing to play my first match for Pakistan — nervous and under pressure,” the former Pakistan captain told Reuters yesterday following his recall for the first test in Lahore.

“It is never easy making a comeback to international cricket after a long lay-off. Your credibility and reputation is on line and there are high expectations.”

Moin, 32, was sacked as captain and player after a disappointing tour of New Zealand in March 2001 after playing 63 Tests and 190 one-dayers. Since than the selectors have preferred Rashid Latif over him but Latif pulled out of the Test series against South Africa last week.

“I have played regular domestic cricket and have trained hard. This should help me. But it is not going to be an easy comeback against South Africa,” Moin said.

Moin said he had never given up hope of playing for Pakistan again despite being ignored completely by the selectors.

“In Pakistan there have been numerous comebacks. Rashid (Latif) was selected after nearly three years. So I never gave up and kept on hoping for the best. It helped me think positively and constructively,” he said.

Moin is one of the nine changes in the injury-hit Pakistan Test squad for the first Test from the side that played against Bangladesh in Multan in September.

New Zealand to Play Five

One-Dayers in Pakistan

New Zealand will play three One-Day Internationals in the space of four days as part of their tour of Pakistan next month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Zakir Khan said that the itinerary for a total of five one-dayers had been approved by New Zealand and would be played in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Karachi was excluded as a venue following a request from New Zealand.

New Zealand, who are in India for two Tests and a triangular tournament, arrive in Pakistan on Nov. 20.

They are playing the one-day series in lieu of the Test match they pulled out of in Karachi last year after a bomb blast outside their hotel, which killed 14 people.

New Zealand tour itinerary: Nov. 22: 1st One-Day International in Faisalabad; Nov. 24: 2nd ODI in Rawalpindi (day-night match); Nov. 25: 3rd ODI in Rawalpindi (day-night match); Nov. 29: 4th ODI in Lahore (day-night match). Dec. 1: 5th ODI in Lahore (day-night match).