Shoaib ruled out of second ODI

Shoaib Akhtar will miss the second ODI against India at his home ground in Rawalpindi due to an ankle injury. He has been carrying the injury to his left ankle since the final Test against England in Lahore in December and missed the first ODI at Peshawar although it was unclear then whether it was because of the injury or Pakistan's rotation policy.

"Shoaib isn't fit right now. He has carried the injury for some time and won't play in Rawalpindi," said Inzamam-ul-Haq. Reports suggest that the injury could be a long-term one, possibly causing him to miss more matches during the rest of the series. Inzamam added, "The physiotherapist says it could be a long-term injury. We are not sure about whether he will play in Lahore or not yet."

How much Shoaib's absence will affect Pakistan is difficult to assess. They won ODI series in India and the West Indies convincingly in his absence. He came back in the series against England, playing in four of the five matches and ending with seven wickets at just over 26. The haul included a matchwinning spell of 5 for 54 at Lahore.

Despite their narrow win at Peshawar and recent good form, Inzamam refused to make his side favourites for tomorrow. "You can't say who is the favourite because it is a question of one day and who plays well on it. It is difficult to come back like we did in the Karachi Test as there is only one day to do it. The boys are playing very well at the moment. We need to improve in a number of key areas but we need to sustain this form."

Of the 26 matches Pakistan have won since Bob Woolmer became coach, half have been while chasing a target. Traditionally Pakistan have been poor at chasing but chasing big totals has become a recent hallmark. "To chase big scores you require mental toughness and you need to be able to handle the pressure. That is the key. There is so much ODI cricket these days that the boys are very experienced. Many games are now high-scoring and the boys are not scared of failure because to chase you need confidence and they have it."

Of course, as Woolmer admitted after Peshawar, it would be easier not to chase such large totals in the first place. Taking wickets hasn't been the problem but discipline, in terms of extras, has been an unresolved issue. Pakistan conceded 16 extras at Peshawar in a total of 328 but crucially, one of their six no-balls dismissed Sachin Tendulkar when he was on 20. He added 80 runs to his score after the reprieve. Inzamam admitted concern but said, "we are trying to work hard on this weakness and we have to control it. It is difficult to chase big scores all the time. Our bowlers have to be more careful about allowing big targets."

Shoaib Malik's role at the top of the order has been crucial in Pakistan's chases in that period. He has scored nearly 1500 runs since June 2004 at an average touching 42 and of his 38 innings, only nine have been in a position other than one-down or number four. Imran Khan had recently questioned whether Younis Khan shouldn't be playing further up the order, given his form against India, although he also admitted Malik had justified his position. "Shoaib Malik has been playing at No 3 or 4 over the last year and has scored over 1000 runs. The ODI batting order is not so set anyway. It has to shift according to team requirements. I have batted at different positions in my career and Malik has done very well for us from there," argued Inzamam.

But according to Inzamam, big totals might not be easily achieved on this wicket. Although Rahul Dravid said yesterday that the surface looked similar to the Peshawar pitch and the one India played on in 2004 (when they lost by 12 runs chasing Pakistan's 329) Inzamam said, "This is not a wicket for big scores. It's more a wicket where batsmen will have to graft." Recent history bears out Inzamam's prediction. The last two matches of the England series were played here in mid-December and both produced tense, low-scoring games. Pakistan defended 210 successfully in the fourth ODI before England beat them by six runs, defending 206 in the final game of the series.

As happened during the England series, the spotlight will again be on the Powerplay and Supersub rules. Inzamam has been critical of Supersubs in particular and he reiterated his belief here. "I have long said either this rule should be scrapped or the player should be decided after the toss. As for Poweplays, it is an interesting rule but generally captains are happy to use them all in the first 20 overs. After that, when the ball is old and fielders are in the circle, it becomes difficult to control batsmen whereas if you use them before it is easier to control them."

Pakistan have won 12 of 16 matches at the Pindi Cricket Stadium and tomorrow's match, says Inzamam, will be important for the rest of the series. "This is an important game. We need to win to put pressure on the Indians for the rest of the series and it will be a big advantage to us if we win here for the rest of the series."

Inzamam refused to speak about comments he made earlier in the week in a newspaper column, where he accused the Indians of poor sportsmanship. Inzamam was dismissed obstructing the field after blocking Suresh Raina's throw to the striker's end. Inzamam said he wasn't allowed to speak on the issue as per the instructions of the match referee.