ABU DHABI : Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq is hoping his team can build
on their recent good performance while Sri Lanka are looking to end
their drought when the two sides meet here in the first of three Tests
from Tuesday.The 37-year-old Misbah took over as Test captain
following a spot-fixing scandal in England last year and has since
batted superbly to help Pakistan draw series against a formidable South
Africa and the West Indies.He also lifted Pakistan to away wins
over New Zealand and Zimbabwe and hopes to carry on the good work
against Sri Lanka, who have lost their last two series against England
and Australia both 1-0 since Tillakaratne Dilshan took over
earlier this year.Misbah hopes his team will continue their recent winning streak."The morale is good, and everyone knows his role," Misbah said on Sunday."Cricket is a team game and since everyone knows his role we have been consistent in Tests and building on."Misbah
leads a batting line-up which is a mixture of youth and experience with
veteran Younis Khan and talented players like Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar
Ali and Asad Shafiq.Since taking over as captain Misbah has
scored 704 in eight Tests at 78.22 and will be Pakistan's mainstay
against the Sri Lankan spin duo of Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv --
both trying to overcome the loss of legendary off-spinner Muttiah
Muralitharan.Sri Lanka have not won a Test, losing three and
drawing eight Tests, since Muralitharan bade farewell to Test cricket
after taking a world record of 800 wickets.But Misbah said Sri Lanka were still a good team."Sri Lanka no doubt is one of the best teams, especially in these conditions so we have to play well to beat them," said Misbah.Dilshan,
34, is looking to improve his captaincy as well as his batting form
after contributing just one half-century against Australia, an 83 in the
final Test at Colombo last month."We have a very young bowling
unit and I think they are getting experience, so I hope they are now
ready to do their job and establish the team in the Tests," said
Dilshan.Apart from Dilshan, Sri Lanka have the experience of
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara -- both in the twilight of their
careers and all-rounders Angelo Mathews, Tharanga Paranavitana and
Prasanna Jayawardene to put solid totals on the board.Ironically,
bowlers from the both the sides will have to toil hard as wickets in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been on the slower side, but could
help spinners on the final two days.Pakistan have a better pace
attack with Umar Gul (125 wickets) boosting the department after being
rested in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, with left-arm pacemen Wahab
Riaz and Junaid Khan, and Aizaz Cheema in support.Pakistan will also look to Saeed Ajmal in the spin department.The
remaining two Tests will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah
(November 3-7). The Test series will be followed by five one-day
internationals and one Twenty20 match.Pakistan had hoped to host
Sri Lanka but an attack on a Karachi military base forced the Islanders
to turn down the invitation in May this year and the series was shifted to UAE.International
cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since a militant attack on the
Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009
Test squads:Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema, Junaid Khan.
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Prasanna Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath, Suraj Randiv, Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal, Kosala Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Kaushal Silva.
Umpires: Tony Hill (NZL) and Rodney Tucker (AUS)
Tv umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
