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Lehmann left to sit it out as Australia play safe

By Peter Deeley in Peshawar
15 October 1998



DARREN LEHMANN, who says he is in the prime form of his career, has been forced to step down from the Australia side for the second Test against Pakistan starting here today.

A groin injury did not stop him scoring a century in each innings in a warm-up game last week in Rawalpindi to follow his 98 in the first Test, but the tourists were not willing to gamble his fitness over five days.

``I have never hit the ball so sweetly as now and it's a bitter pill to have to step down,'' said Lehmann.

Ricky Ponting replaces him and Michael Kasprowicz is included in a 12-man party for what looks like being a hard and fast wicket.

Pakistan have called up left-arm spinner Shakheil Ahmed, 31, who took 10 wickets in the Rawalpindi pre-Test game. He may get his international debut if Mushtaq Ahmed's knee injury does not respond to treatment. Saqlain Mushtaq is unavailable.

The Pakistani authorities have tightened security for the Australian team. Their dressing room is being guarded by commandos and food and water has to go through special checkpoints for examination.

The Australian Cricket Board had objected to playing in Peshawar, near to the Afghan border, after Osama bin Laden, the Saudi Moslem dissident based in Afghanistan who is a suspect in the bomb attacks on US embassies in Nairobi and Sudan, threatened to destroy all whites.

Pakistan are likely to play all three men at the centre of the match-fixing and bribery controversy - Wasim Akram, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed - for the first time since the enquiry began.

It was Waqar Younis's turn in court yesterday and he incurred the wrath of the judge when he came out with a string of denials. Judge Qayyum told the Pakistan fast bowler: ``I am not believing it. I warn you that if I don't believe you I will make a very serious account against all who make false statements.''

Waqar, who is out of the Test team because of injury, said he knew nothing and had never indulged in betting or fixing. Another Test fast bowler, Aaqib Javed, has testified that a bookmaker gave players £600 and a car during a tour of Sri Lanka. Aaqib said he persuaded two players - one of them Waqar - to return the cars. But Waqar denied he had received a vehicle.

Asked about allegations that a one-day international in England in 1992 had been thrown by Waqar and Wasim bowling deliberately badly, Waqar replied: ``That is incorrect. We tried our best but England are a very strong one-day side at home.''

He admitted that after Rashid Latif had accused Salim Malik of match-fixing in South Africa ``there was an altercation between them and I had to intervene''.

That was at a time when the team were made to swear on the Koran to eliminate the danger of fixing.

Although the judge indicated he would like to hear Shane Warne, the Australian bowler has pulled out of his role as a television commentator for the Bangladesh one-day series later this month. Warne said his first priority was to get his shoulder right before the Ashes tour.

Pakistan (from): *Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Iznamam-ul-Haq, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Yousaf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood, -Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Mohammad Zahid, Shoaib Akhter, Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan, Shahid Afridi, Shakheil Ahmed, Naveed Anjum.

Australia: *M A Taylor, M J Slater, J L Langer, R T Ponting, M E Waugh, S R Waugh, -I A Healy, C R Miller, S C G MacGill, M S Kasprowicz, D W Fleming, G D McGrath.


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