LAHORE, 10 November 2006 — Pakistan’s hopes rest on leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the first of three Tests against the West Indies starting here from tomorrow, following the ouster of its dope-tainted main pace duo.

Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years and Mohammad Asif for one year after both tested positive for banned steroid nandrolone last week, badly denting the once feared Pakistan pace attack.

Captain Inzamam ul-Haq hoped Kaneria would do well on a slow-paced Gaddafi Stadium wicket to make up for the loss of the two strike bowlers. “It is tough to play without the two key bowlers and this put more pressure on Kaneria who has been our key wicket-taking bowler,” said Inzamam, who will return to the field after serving an ICC ban.

The International Cricket Council banned Inzamam for four One-Day Internationals for bringing the game into disrepute during Pakistan’s last Test against England at the Oval in August.

“I hope all the boys rise up to the occasion, the team will need a combined effort to win a Test,” said Inzamam.

West Indian coach Bennett King said the loss of strike bowlers would deplete any side, but admitted Kaneria posed a threat to his team.

“Kaneria is their strike bowler,” King said.

“We played Kaneria quite well in West Indies where the wickets also turned. He had a good game in Jamaica but he’s still a bowler who we would be looking to score off at every opportunity,” said King, who took over two years ago.

West Indies have won only one of their last 14 Tests. Their last win came against Pakistan at Barbados last year.

“Our main aim is to work on what we’ve got and getting our Test game up and running again after four months break from this format of the game,” said King, whose side drew the two-day game leading to the first Test. Pakistan have uncapped left-arm seamer Samiullah Niazi and left-arm spinner Andul Rehman in their 15-man squad.

Bravo Scores Ton as Windies

Left Short on Practice

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo hit a brilliant hundred but other key batsmen, including captain Brian Lara, were left short on practice as West Indies drew their two-day match yesterday.

The 23-year-old from Trinidad hit 15 fours and two towering sixes in his 108 before retiring as West Indies reached 279-5 before bad light ended the match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah Stadium. The Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI had declared their first innings at their overnight score of 305-4.

Bravo held the innings together after West Indies lost openers Runako Morton for 21 and Daren Ganga for 42. Bravo added 120 runs for the fourth wicket with uncapped Lendl Simmons, who made 40. West Indies key batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan could manage just 29 while Lara did not bat.

West Indies coach Bennett King said the side did not get ideal preparation for the first Test against Pakistan starting from tomorrow.

“It’s not ideal for the format that we are playing but we have been playing a lot of cricket which is certainly beneficial to us,” said King.