'India will bank on spinners against Pak'

Former Test off-spinner and ex-chairman of Pakistan selectors Salahuddin Ahmed has said Pakistan's sole advantage over India was in the fast bowling department and that also stood neutralised following Shoaib Akhtar's pull-out from the tour.

Salahuddin, who has served as a national selector for a record nine times, said the balance of the series is now heavily in favour of India.

"Pakistan's only strength was its fast bowling which has now been neutralised with the withdrawal of Shoaib," he said.

"Mohammad Sami is an over-rated fast bowler, while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is an improved pacer. But both are not in the same class as Irfan Pathan or Zaheer Khan," he said.

Shoaib cited a hamstring problem for his withdrawal from the India-bound team less than 24 hours after he was fined and reprimanded on disciplinary grounds.

Salahuddin, whose elder sister Mohsina Kidwai is a member of Upper House and uncle Akhlaq-ur-Rehman is Governor of Haryana, is of the view that Irfan Pathan would prove to be a dangerous bowler during the series.

"He becomes extremely difficult when he bowls round the wicket because the batsmen struggle to pick his line. Like Wasim Akram, he has learnt the art of bringing the ball inside from round the wicket rather than swinging the ball away like other left-armers."

Salahuddin said besides Irfan, India had Zaheer, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and Laxmipathy Balaji "which give India a more formidable look as compared to Pakistan. There was never any doubt about the spinners in Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik."

"It is going to be tough work for Pakistan batsmen in India because I think India will prepare under-prepared wickets to assist spinners. Despite good fast bowlers, I am convinced that India will bank on spinners and try to wrap up every match inside four days," he said.

Salahuddin also praised India's batting line-up as the best in the world

"They put up a big total which always puts pressure on the opponents and the Indian bowling takes advantage of that situation."

Blaming Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer for the current state of the team, he said the Englishman has been in charge since June last year but, "I don't think even he knows what will be the batting order if there is a match next day.

"He has shuffled the team so much that instead of any improvement, the Pakistan team has become a victim of experimentation. Woolmer has excuses ready for every failure, he offers an excuse instead of taking the blame. He is an over-rated coach," he said.

The former chairman of selectors disagreed that Pakistan had a young and inexperienced team.

"Inzamam-ul Haq, Younis Khan, Taufeeq Umar, Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, and Danish Kaneria have been around for quite sometime now. I don't think the Pakistan team is inexperienced. This is another label that [Woolmer] has given as an excuse."

Salahuddin slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board for its poor preparation for the Indian tour.

"Instead of preparing the team for the difficult and most important tour, the foreign coaches and trainers are vacationing in South Africa. And for this scenario, the PCB is to be blamed for they granted leave to the foreigners."

"They [trainers] have absolutely no idea what this series means to Pakistan. I don't think a Pakistani coach would have sent his [support staff] on holidays before such a big event. What type of preparation is this? The entire blame should go to PCB," he said