Being held since 1978, the Champions Trophy is hockey's only annual international tournament which is officially allotted by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and participating teams are also named by the FIH. The year 1979 was the only time when the Champions Trophy was not held.

Out of the 28 Champions Trophy tournaments held so far, Australia, Germany and Holland have won the title most times. Each of these three nations has lifted the trophy on eight occasions. Pakistan has been successful three times and Spain once.

In fact, Pakistan won the first and the second Champions Trophy events but had to wait for 14 years for its third win, in 1994 in the 16th edition.

Likewise, Holland won the third and fourth Champions Trophy, but had to wait for an identical period of 14 years for their third win, till the 18th edition in 1996.

The criterion for selection of the competing sides in the Champions Trophy is mainly dependent on the result of the last Olympics or the World Cup event, whichever the more recent.

Qualification Rules for 2007 Champions Trophy: The following countries shall qualify -- the champion of the Olympic Games 2004, champions of the World Cup 2006, champions of the Champions Trophy 2006 and the host country.

The other countries and the reserve countries shall be in order of those finishing in second and subsequent places, in the previous World Cup.

Based upon these qualification criteria the teams originally invited to qualify for the Champions Trophy 2007 were: Australia, Germany, Korea, Netherlands, Pakistan and Spain.

Out of these, Germany, Australia (also Olympic champions), Spain and Korea had finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the 2006 World Cup. England who had obtained 5th position had to make way for Netherlands (champions of the 2006 Champions trophy) and Pakistan (the hosts).

Later, Champions trophy was shifted to Malaysia as many of the selected countries had refused to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns. The number was raised to eight. Malaysia was included as hosts. As a compensatory measure, Pakistan was not excluded. And England was also included.

This year's Champions trophy has an official web site www.championstrophy2007.sportcentric.com

From 1991 onwards, in the intervening year between the Olympics and the World Cup, the team finishing last in the Champions Trophy was deleted from the next year's Champions Trophy. Instead, the team having international ranking of seventh was included in the next Champions Trophy.

However from 2002, this arrangement has been changed. The sixth slot in the "intervening" year (between Olympics and World Cup) vacated by the team finishing last in previous year is filled by the winner of the 'Champions Challenge' Tournament which is contested by teams getting 7th-12th position in previous World Cup/Olympics.

Australia and Pakistan have made the most appearances: 27. Pakistan has hosted the Champions Trophy as many as eleven times while Holland has held it five times and Australia and Germany on four occassions each. India twice while Malaysia and Spain had the honour once each.

Out of the eleven occasions in Pakistan, the Champions Trophy has been held six times in Karachi and five times in Lahore.

Until 1991, the tournament used to be held on a single-league basis only and the team with the highest points was declared the winner.

However, since 1992, after the league the top two teams play a final to decide the winner. Similarly, matches between the third and fourth placed teams and the fifth and sixth placed teams are also played to decide the bronze medal and the lower positions, respectively.

Only 13 teams have had the honour of participating in these tournaments. France and Malaysia have taken part only once.

Till 1992, a jinx of a sort had remained attached withthe Champions Trophy i.e. a team winning the Champions Trophy in a particular year always failed to win the major title event i.e. World Cup or Olympics, staged later that year.

But in 1992, Germany broke the hoodoo. That year, they won the Champions Trophy and followed it by claiming their first ever Olympic gold.

Both Australia and Germany have performed the hat-trick of victories. Incidentally, they came back to back. Australia did its hat-trick by lifting the trophy in 1983, 1984 and 1985 while the Germans followed suit in 1986, 1987 and 1988

The highest number of goals scored in a single Champions Trophy event is 136, in the second version at Karachi in 1980.

The lowest number of goals scored in a single event is also at Karachi. Only 46 goals were scored in the eighth edition in 1986.

The highest number of goals scored by a single team in a single tournament is 32, by Pakistan in the second edition in 1980.

The least number of goals conceded by a team in a single tournament is two, by Germany, in 1995.

The highest number of goals conceded by a team is 29, by France in the 14th edition (1992).

Australia has made it to the victory stand 12 consecutive times, from the first to the 12th editions. But Germany holds the overall all record as they mounted the victory stand 13 consecutive times: the seventh (1985) to the 19th (1997) editions.

Till defeat in the second match of the third Champions Trophy, Pakistan had won 11 successive matches. So far, a record sequence.

Only five teams have won the Champions Trophy so far; and each of them has won at least once in Pakistan.

The all time top scorer in the Champions Trophy is Pakistani drag flicker Sohail Abbas with 40 goals followed by Australia's crack forward Mark Hager, with 32 goals; the third highest tally is by a German, penalty corner specialist Carsten Fischer (30).

In a single edition, the record of most goals is owned by Holland's Paul Litjens who scored 15 goals in the second Champions Trophy in 1980.

Pakistan's Hanif Khan is generally credited with the fastest goal in a Champions Trophy match, when he put his side ahead after just 11 seconds, against Holland in 1984

The first ever goal in the Champions Trophy was scored by Pakistan's forward, Shahnaz Sheikh, against New Zealand (1978).

When Germany performed a hat-trick of victories at the Champions Trophy from 1986-88, they were led by Heins Dopp on each of the three occasions.

Shahbaz Ahmed skippered Pakistan as many as six times, from 1990 to 1995, a record for the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan appeared in 27 out of the 28 editions. Their tally in these 27 appearances -- Three golds: 1978 (1st), 1980 (2nd) and 1994 (16th). Six silvers: 1983 (5th), 1984 96th), 1988 (10th), 1991 (13th), 1996 (18th), 1998 (20th). Six bronze: 1986 (8th) 1992 (14th), 1995 (17th), 2002 (24th), 2003 (25th), 2004(26th). Seven times 4th position: 1981 (3rd), 1982 (4th), 1985 (7th), 1989 (11th), 1990 (12th), 1993 (15th), 2001(23rd). Thrice 5th position: 1997 (19th), 2005 (27th) and 2006 (28th). Once apiece 6th and 7th: 1999 (21st) and 1989 (9th), respectively.

All three of Pakistan's victories: 1978, 1980 and 1994 were achieved on home soil. Shahbaz Ahmad and two goalkeepers Shahid Ali Khan and Mansoor Ahmed have the maximum appearances in the Champions Trophy for Pakistan. They appeared in 10 events each.

Pakistan's biggest victories in the Champions Trophy came in the second edition (1980) when Pakistan defeated both India and Australia by an identical margin of 7-1. Pakistan's heaviest defeat is 2-9 by Holland in the last edition (2006).

The Pakistan cricket team is going through a lot of experimentation these days. The main areas of concern for the think-tank of the team include searching for a reliable opening pair, and a suitable replacement for Inzamam-ul-Haq in the middle-order. A good all-rounder, an excellent wicket-keeper and a dependable match-winning spinner are also the need of the hour.

The measures which the Board and the team management have taken for the solution of all these problems can only be described as ridiculous. They are using this uncertainty to provide chances to their dear ones and blue eyed boys and neglecting all those who have performed exceptionally well at domestic and international level.

Salman Butt, Imran Nazir and Mihammad Hafeez could not excel at the international level despite being given various chances. The selection Committee and PCB should give chances to those up and coming youngsters who are knocking at the door of international cricket for quite some time now and stop giving chances to those spent forces who could not cement their places in the team despite golden opportunities. Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor and Ahmed Shahzad are those rays of hope which can bring an end to this long standing problem.

The team management is working in a laughable manner on Indian soil as If one succeeds in getting a decent score in the previous match, he suddenly gets the chance of opening the innings in the very next match and certain flaws in his batting technique are completely ignored. I am talking about Shahid Afridi who is by no means an ideal choice as an opener. But because of some reasons better known to the Board and team management he has been tried on numerous occasions as an opener. He is in the habit of trying to hit every ball out of the ground, and due to this adventurous approach he has lost his wicket very cheaply in countless matches.

For an opener solid batting technique is essential. One cannot score at international level with consistency without good footwork, technique, and selection of shots. Afridi seems to be quite unaware of all these basic elements. His batting number must not be fixed. He should be utilized as per the match situation.

He can prove very useful batting lower down the order as he has proved in recent past. Since long we have been watching early departures of our openers which put the middle-order under tremendous pressure right from the beginning. After Inzamam's retirement, the burden has been shifted to Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf's shoulders but this is not the solution of the problem. If both fail in the same match, it looks almost certain that Pakistan will surrender the match.

Misbah-ul-Haq is a good player, but he does not have the nerves of steel to demonstrate his skills in a befitting manner. He is at an age and point in his career where one cannot bring change in his style of batting.

Sohail Tanvir and Abdul Rehman are bright prospects and both of them can prove better replacements for Abdul Razzaq and Danish Kaneria. Both are mentally and physically very fit and can serve Pakistan cricket for a long time.

If we take a look at the Board's policies and the team's performances, one thing which is common between them is inconsistency. PCB appointed three players one after the other as vice captain including Younis Khan who initially had turned down the offer of captaining the side. This offer was made to him after the world cup debacle but he turned down the same citing personal reasons.

To the surprise of many he has now accepted the responsibility. This practice of PCB reminds me of the last decade of the 1990s when majority of our team was composed of former captains or vice captains.

One day we feel proud of our team, but in the very next match our team produces a totally different and pathetic performance. To perform at a certain level with consistency, one must have confidence in his abilities and potential. To our sheer disappointment and bad luck, majority of our current players do not possess the same.

Today when the critics and lovers of the game observe the performances of the players it causes great mental stress. In this connection one thing which can be of great benefit is a player's confidence. If one lacks the same it becomes very difficult for him to prove himself at international level despite being hugely talented.

Today our team is facing the dilemma of how to perform with consistency. In this regard one thing which can do wonder is that the team management should take confidence-building measures by showing them the video footages of those matches in which those players who are not performing up well these days, had performed brilliantly to earn victories for their country.

This will certainly bring a radical change in their attitude towards the game and they will feel a lot better. Players should take pride in representing their country and also must not take their places for granted. This feeling would motivate them to justify their selection and perform beyond their ability.

Imran Khan had instilled the much-needed confidence in his boys during the 1992 World Cup. The team under his dynamic leadership gave a wonderful performance and changed a dream into reality. If Shoaib Malik can take a lesson from that memorable win there is no reason why we could not revive our glorious past.

Does that sound interesting enough? Or is this what was expected of him (Malik)? Hmm, am not too sure about it.

The young skipper's role has been under the spotlight since he took over the reigns from former batting great Inzamam-ul-Haq. Pakistan, who had been in the state of 'emergency' after their early exit from the World Cup in the Caribbean, thought of injecting new life into the team and gave the responsibility to Sialkot batsman.

The start of this new era got off to a flyer. Sri Lanka, the finalists of the quadrennial event, were absolutely outclasses by Team Pakistan in a three-match One-day International (ODI) series in Abu Dhabi. Malik won his first series as captain 2-1.

The next campaign under him remains the most exciting event ever Pakistan has participated in. The Greenshirts were high in spirits as they took on the rest of the world in the inaugural World Twenty20 event in South Africa.

Pakistan went on to reach the final of the mega event where the lost in a thriller, in the last over of the match, against arch-rivals India. It was one breathtaking tie but Malik wasn't too much disappointed as the team had performed almost up to expectations.

So far, so good! Then came the big boys from South Africa to face Malik's men in Pakistan. The Proteas, one of the strongest sides in the world, had beaten Pakistan both in the Test and ODI series previously when they hosted them just before the World Cup.

And they were too hot to handle again as they wrapped up both the Test and ODI series again, this time on Pakistan soil, to leave Malik facing first series losses as skipper. This left question marks over Malik's handling of the team. His body language wasn't up to the mark, his own performances deteriorated, the team went haywire and left the home crowd stunned.

What was expected soon followed. People started pointing their fingers towards Malik. They asked questions in dismay, passed comments in anger and wanted improvement from the very next match.

Pakistan's matches against traditional rivals India are always touted to be classics. Even that was testified by Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson when he said "Pakistan-India series are bigger than the Ashes".

And bigger-than-the-Ashes-series was next up for Pakistan. The pressure on the players, before, during and after this series, is always enormous. The losing team feels the bitterness afterwards and the captain of the team is made the scapegoat here, obviously.

Pakistan started their tour with a match against a Delhi side. And the team didn't disappoint snatching a comfortable seven-wicket win. Malik didn't bat but bowled few overs.

The problem with Team Pakistan over the years has been the lack of consistency. When their bowlers fire, their strong batting line-up fails. And when the batsmen are up to the mark, the bowling is wayward and concedes far too many runs. And with fielding the weakest point in their armoury, Pakistan isn't always able to find the best combination to win matches on a regular basis.

The next match on Indian tour, the first ODI at Guwahati. The stakes were high. Getting a good start on such an important tour is always essential. But Pakistan failed here with India winning the match comfortably.

Salman Butt made a welcome return to the international arena after being stripped off the vice-captaincy, making a fifty and star batsman Mohammad Yousuf continued his magnificent touch for Pakistan's cause. But rest of the line-up failed and Malik only made 2. Defending 239 wasn't easy for Pakistan and India romped home by 5 wickets.

Malik and his men vowed to perform better in the second match and so they did. Though the bowlers went for a lot of runs with India making 321 batting first, Pakistan chased down the target with a ball to spare. Vice-captain Younis Khan was the star with the bat with useful contributions from Butt, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi. Malik didn't shine again making just 25.

When a team isn't performing up to its full abilities, what is needed is a positive role of the captain. The skipper, in these circumstances, needs to lead from the front. But Malik, in Pakistan's case, wasn't able to do that.

The third match came and Malik wasn't able to utilise his bowling department again. Pakistan conceded a big total again, 294 this time, and gave away 29 extras. Malik should have told his bowlers after the second match that we can not give away too many runs against such a strong opposition and we need to curb their run-making instincts.

Though bowlers aren't kids and they know how to deal with certain situations, what the captain needs to do is to stand up and let them (the bowlers) know what can be done and what shouldn't be. He should be well aware of field settings and how to rotate his bowlers. Malik failed in this department awfully.

Pakistan lost by a massive 46-run margin. Butt came to the party again making his fourth century in ODIs (all of them have come against India) but his efforts went in vain. Take a note of this, Malik made only 12 this time. And in these three matches, he also hadn't taken a single wicket and even went on to give ten runs per over in the second ODI.

Now will any one tell me, if this performance had been of any other player than the skipper, wouldn't he had been dropped for the next match? I am sure he would've been; no doubt about that. The skipper's label saved Malik this time.

It was crunch time in the next match. Pakistan had got to win the match, for sure. They wouldn't lose the series against India, and that in India too. No way! What would the supporters back home feel? It would be too harsh on them.

The match started after Pakistan won the match. Everybody knew that the dew factor plays a major role in the second innings (as it was a day-night match) and the side bowling second always face difficulties. Though Malik won the toss, he did what wasn't expected of him. He decided to bat first.

And you know what his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni said after the match? He said "I was 150% surprised when he won the toss and elected to bat first. All of us know how hard it is to bowl second".

Malik's strategy faltered once again. Pakistan made only 255 and that thanks to an unbeaten 99 by Yousuf. Malik decided to lead from the front and came to open the innings but couldn't do much, again, and went for just 31.

India's strong batting line-up chased down the target with six wickets to spare giving them a memorable series win. What a setback for Pakistan. India had just lost their ODI series against Australia 2-4 and were out of sorts but they came back strongly and thrashed Pakistan's hopes. Another psychological boost for them against Pakistan after their T20 success.

Criticism fell on Malik from all corners of the globe then. Former captain Javed Miandad asked for his sacking as the captain of the national side. Aamer Sohail was furious too, as was Rashid Latif and Wasim Akram among others. Poor Malik!

The dead rubber, the fifth and final ODI, was won by Pakistan. And it didn't delighted Pakistan fans or anyone else. Yousuf again troubled the scorers like a number of occasions before. Pakistan made a few changes in this match in order to rest their key players for the upcoming Test series. Malik, finally, made some runs much to the delight of himself only. He made 89.

India lost the match by 31 runs with Sohail Tanvir grabbing four wickets while Malik also chipped in with 3 wickets which earned him the Man of the Match award as well. Bright signs for Pakistan cricket's future were seen with batting onslaught from Karachi youngster Fawad Alam.

According to Malik, this victory would help Pakistan boost up their confidence and will play a pivotal role in the three-match Test series. Really?

By the time I wrote this piece, day one of the first Test had ended. And Pakistan had got the worst possible start they could've ever dreamed for. Indian bowlers had stunned the visitors at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.

Pakistan reached day one on 210/8 with Misbah rescuing them after a horrendous start. Pakistan had lost their eight wickets for just 142. And note this again, Malik was out for nought.

With this form and these leadership skills, Malik tenure might come to a premature end. Though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended his tenure for some time, Malik won't escape the criticism if he continues to perform like this.

How unfortunate can we be? We had Ad hocism, then we saw a swift shift to the corporate set-up and further, now we have a powerful Board of Governors filled with a star cast. What we don't have at the moment is a viable, practical and a competitive national team. We don't have many choices to stock up our troubled opening slot, Mohammad Asif is out ailing, Shoaib Akhtar despite his best efforts has been under the weather desperate to pick wickets and Kamran Akmal's wicket-keeping has simply been apologetic.

He struggled all through out the one-day series with skepticism against his fitness making the news. His collection to the right was sporadically brilliant, on the left woeful. He tended to stand up early, fixing on toes and restricting his movements bilaterally.

Additionally, in Tests we still have to wait for Misbah-ul-Haq and Faisal Iqbal, combining their talent to camouflage the absence of Inzamam-ul-Haq, now 'gracefully' retired. Jointly, both Faisal and Misbah may well take ages to even come to half of Inzamam's calibre. Fact is that Pakistan cricket as an institution looks completely eroded and in total disarray.

Intolerable has been the recent management and mostly the board has survived on the strength of provocative rhetoric and manipulation of power. Cricket hasn't played even a marginal role. Pakistan's recent run, both managerial and team's performance has further alienated this premier national sport from the people.

In a country where cricket has historically served as a space for people for catharsis, inept management and provision of resource has created dissonance between the players and the orthodox. It has been present set-up's greatest disservice. The sad part is that there is no higher purpose involved. It is just the personal attitude of handpicked directors with powers to do a job that they were never trained to do. Despite a conspicuous unavailability of reformed, well-schooled sport management experts, still people who are capable have been subjected to staggering apathy. They are misplaced behind the smokescreen of oratory. Cricket continues putting up with low esteem.

In Pakistan's cricket there is a different type of a pressure. The players know they will be substantially better if they could enhance their individual performances instead of appearing as team men trying to win series and trophies. They always ensure that their performances should reflect more ambitiously on the national selectors and administration. Contrary to the modern instincts, none examines the input of the committees, selectors and administrators. In the developed world even in India it's totally different.

Cricketing jobs are not protected by custom as once they were; the lifestyle of those working within the game, as well as those playing it, is immeasurably high-sounding and high-profiled than it was a generation ago. PCB directors in the main are longer content to offer mute unquestioning compliance to the vagaries of their set ups.

Then there are people who should be revered for their accomplishments and projected as country's pride. They have receded to the background while small time people, with erect collars and designers sunshades are travelling to India, a doctor relinquishing his white coat to wear the Pakistan colours, sitting in the dressing room opposing to his role in the press box.

Pakistan cricket's appalling descent hasn't been able to stir these people to get back to the basics removing the major irritants, to give resolve and better perspective to our game. Where do we go from here? Pakistan's recent show at home against South Africa and in the one-day series in India, despite a handful of justifications from Dr Nasim Ashraf's toadies, has put our team in a negative light. PCBís early commitments and rhetoric now seem a sham.

Pakistan team's combination is also a case of self-deception. That the selectors and tour management let go Rao Iftikhar Anjum was a close call. Sohail Tanvir, a highly competitive and focused all-rounder made it to the ranks purely on his defiant attitude and skillful left-arm bowling in one-day matches. That he would attain similar type of success against the masterly Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Gangly, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dohni seems a farfetched illusion. He pitches up and varies his length. His approach to the wicket is unsteady and action unorthodox, both could lessen his efficacy with batsmen having all the time in the world to go back and across and follow the line.

Nevertheless, if Wasim Akram tutors him finer points, we may well see an able all-rounder in the making. Why should Wasim take the initiative is arguable.

Imran Nazir, a one-day specialist whose selection was earlier questioned also returned playing a solitary match and that too the last of a dead series. With him is a very talented Fawad Alam. To some, Alam's return was engineered before he was deserted. According to reports, being the similar type his presence often irked Shoaib Malik. It seems a case of complete insecurity within the team?

The intelligentsia of the team weren't even kind to the highly volatile and unpredictable Shahid Afridi; he was forsaken as well. Allegedly, some of the power-sharers didn't want to put up with him. So far he had appeared to play a negative role by cutting a sorry figure whenever the team needed him, at crucial times in one-day matches. There still are skeptics who continue to believe that this is all part of an elaborate charade, but it is time that we stop taking selectors words as the words of wisdom. This turnaround becomes significant and has the potential of walloping Pakistan team further down.

Danish Kaneria and Faisal Iqbal were expected to be part of the Test squad. Faisal's has been inspiring attempts though he needs to register tall scores to strengthen his position. He has the technique and method, quality and enterprise but presumably needs continuity.

Kaneria's case is different. His record is impressive but he just can't be called an outright match-winner, nowhere near in talent and flair of Abdul Qadir and the giggly Mushtaq Ahmed. Kaneria has been a disappointment against major teams. Against India, on acquiescent unresponsive tracks and against top batters fully endowed to counter his type, his survival would surely be in jeopardy. Mohammad Samiís return to the team was warranted, particularly in absence of Mohammad Asif. His only problem has been the fact that he has regressed instead of improving during his appearances for Pakistan; attitude and his inability to overcome anxiety that international cricket brings specked his career with uncertainty. This time, however he has picked the slot all by himself. Sami played the last of his thirty, principally unrewarding Tests, in January against South Africa since when he slipped to the fringes of Pakistan's Test attack.

Nevertheless, his 21 wickets in the current season while captaining the Karachi Whites and a career-best haul of 8-39 were enough to persuade the selectors. That he'll succeed in India would largely depend on how he is handled by Shoaib Malik. If he can manage that, it will give the team a degree of advantage.

Malik's captaincy has been middle-of-the-road, pedestrian with glaring slip-ups and he'll need to give a boost to his spirit to lead from the front. It's going to be a tough ask.

His captaincy run has been extended until December 2008 but this series is going to be different. His survival will depend on the result. He must do a heavy re-think. It is time to build a new team and Malik needs to have a place in it but in case if Pakistan loses, like the PCB hierarchy he may well not have firm footing. Dr Nasim's support is also weakening since he himself has not been able to hit the ground running. It seems Nasim has got himself surrounded and he'll soon be looking for a way out.

Lately, Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu launched a hard attack on his country's selectors, calling them a set of Muppets headed by a joker and blaming them for the lack of bench strength in the side. We have one too many around too?

Pakistan got some respectability after the ODI series defeat at the end of the fuve One-day Internationales after winning the final ODI at Jaipur last week. But Pakistan had lost the one-day series by 3-2.

It was Pakistan's second consecutive ODI series defeat but it was their first in India after around 24 years. The last time Pakistan lost the one-day series was in 1983-84 by a 2-0 margin.

The last one-day win must have lifted the morale and confidence of the Pakistan side for the ongoing Test series. Losing the series by 3-2 showed a close contest between the two sides otherwise a 4-1 margin would have confirmed a one-sided affair in favour of the hosts.

The toss in all five ODIs played a "vital and lucky role", but only for the losing captain. In all five One-day Internationals the side losing the toss won the match. Three times Shoaib Malik and twice Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision after winning the toss backfired and they paid the price in shape of defeat.

The difference of captaincy between Malik and Dhoni was the aggression. Dhoni is a cool and sharp skipper; he always kept his eye on the opposition's weaknesses. His bowling changes, field placings were according to the batsmen's weak points.

On the other hand, Shoaib Malik's approach looked defensive due to which his performance was also affected and except the last one-dayer he failed to show his form as he has done against India in the past.

Newcomer all-rounder Fawad Alam and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, who got a chance only in the last one-dayer at Jaipur, looked quite confident in their respective departments and they have a bright chance of cementing their place in the national side soon.

Fawad, in his short innings (32 off 23 balls) showed his confidence and batting skills and in the bowling side, although he failed to take any wicket in a high scoring game, he bowled well against the strong Indian batting.

Sarfraz did not get a batting chance but behind the stumps he looked very confident and energetic. He can replace Kamran Akmal after getting some more experience in the national side. The management should give him more chances especially in the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe.

Sohail Tanvir proved himself as one of the most improved bowlers in the series. His performance was getting better and better after every match, he is taking full advantage of his height. He also has some useful batting ability in the lower order.

Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan proved that Pakistan batting is mostly dependent on their performance. Without the two Ys the Pakistan batting looks very ordinary. In the Test series skipper Shoaib Malik will depend on their performance to remain unbeaten in the Test series on Indian soil since 1979-80 when Sunil Gavaskar's eleven beat Pakistan by 2-0 in the six-Test rubber.

It was a disappointing series for Shahid Afridi. In both departments he failed to deliver upto the expectations. He managed only 73 runs in four matches with a high score of 31. As one of a regular bowlers he took only two wickets, conceding 223 runs at a very high average of 111.50.

The opening problem remained unsolved throughout the ODI series as ever. Pakistan tested four different opening pairs in the five One-day Internationals. Only Salman Butt scored runs at the one end and got his place in the Test side. But on the other end no batsman provided a solid and regular support to Salman Butt.

Little master Sachin Tendulkar was one of the most unfortunate batsmen of the series as Umar Gul took his wicket twice in the nineties (97 and 93). In 2007 Sachin missed six centuries after being out in the nineties.

Yuvraj Singh became an essential part of the Indian middle order. In five matches he scored four fifties. He is also a useful part time bowler and an outstanding fielder. His all-round performance got him select him for the Man of the Series award while Mohammad Yousuf scored more runs in the series.

With a win in the last one-dayer, Shoaib Malik should not forget the weaknesses of his side. Rising deliveries are one of the major problem for the Pakistan batsmen. They don't have command on the hook and pull shots.

To beat India in the Test series the skipper must understand that the only way to beat India on their home grounds is to lead his boys from the front and face the opposition aggressively. Forget the defeat in the ODIs, attack the Indians with full strength and fight till the last.

Mohammad Yousuf was the highest scorer of the ODI series with 283 runs at an average of 94.33 including three fifties. For India, Yuvraj Singh remained the most successful batsman with 272 runs with the help of four half-centuries at an average of 68.

On the bowling side Pakistan's left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir took the most, eight wickets, at an average of 22.25 while R P Singh took six wickets for India at an average of 36.0.

India batting averages

Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 4s 6s

Yuvraj Singh 5 5 1 272 77 68.00 80.00 0 4 20 6

RG Sharma 1 1 0 52 52 52.00 85.24 0 1 3 1

SR Tendulkar 5 5 0 259 99 51.80 101.96 0 2 42 1

MS Dhoni 5 5 1 185 63 46.25 85.64 0 1 16 3

IK Pathan 5 4 2 72 43 36.00 105.88 0 0 5 3

G Gambhir 5 5 0 141 57 28.20 71.93 0 1 17 0

V Sehwag 3 3 0 78 43 26.00 83.87 0 0 6 1

SC Ganguly 4 4 0 89 39 22.25 81.65 0 0 12 2

M Kartik 3 1 0 16 16 16.00 160.00 0 0 1 1

P Kumar 1 1 0 12 12 12.00 92.30 0 0 1 0

RV Uthappa 5 4 1 31 19 10.33 77.50 0 0 3 1

Z Khan 4 1 0 9 9 9.00 50.00 0 0 1 0

Harbhajan Singh 4 2 2 48 38* – 160.00 0 0 2 2

S Sreesanth 1 1 1 10 10* – 62.50 0 0 1 0

RP Singh 4 1 1 1 1* – 100.00 0 0 0 0

India bowling averages

Player Mat Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BB Ave Econ SR

S Sreesanth 1 10.0 1 52 3 3-52 17.33 5.20 20.0

Yuvraj Singh 5 14.0 0 77 3 1-12 25.66 5.50 28.0

SR Tendulkar 5 7.0 0 54 2 2-32 27.00 7.71 21.0

RP Singh 4 36.0 3 216 6 3-62 36.00 6.00 36.0

Z Khan 4 36.2 2 185 5 2-40 37.00 5.09 43.6

Harbhajan Singh 4 40.0 0 178 4 2-65 44.50 4.45 60.0

IK Pathan 5 47.5 3 270 5 1-45 54.00 5.64 57.4

M Kartik 3 26.0 0 136 2 1-38 68.00 5.23 78.0

SC Ganguly 4 14.0 0 84 1 1-29 84.00 6.00 84.0

P Kumar 1 10.0 1 50 0 – – 5.00 –

V Sehwag 3 6.0 0 37 0 – – 6.16 –

Pakistan batting averages

Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 4s 6s

Mohammad Yousuf 5 5 2 283 99* 94.33 87.61 0 3 21 2

Younis Khan 4 4 0 231 117 57.75 83.09 1 1 18 3

Salman Butt 5 5 0 252 129 50.40 84.00 1 1 38 0

Misbah-ul-Haq 5 5 0 176 49 35.20 101.73 0 0 10 2

Shoaib Malik 5 5 0 159 89 31.80 77.56 0 1 13 2

Shahid Afridi 4 4 1 73 31 24.33 128.07 0 0 6 2

Imran Nazir 1 1 0 20 20 20.00 50.00 0 0 3 0

Sohail Tanvir 4 4 2 23 14* 11.50 135.29 0 0 3 0

Kamran Akmal 4 4 1 29 13 9.66 53.70 0 0 3 0

Abdul Rehman 2 2 0 2 2 1.00 33.33 0 0 0 0

Shoaib Akhtar 4 1 0 1 1 1.00 50.00 0 0 0 0

Yasir Hameed 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 20.00 0 0 0 0

Fawad Alam 1 1 1 32 32* – 139.13 0 0 2 1

Umar Gul 5 1 1 2 2* – 100.00 0 0 0 0

Rao Iftikhar 4 – – – – – – – – – –

Sarfraz Ahmed 1 – – – – – – – – – –

Pakistan bowling averages

Player Mat Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BB Ave Econ SR

Sohail Tanvir 4 36.5 2 178 8 4-53 22.25 4.83 27.6

Shoaib Akhtar 4 38.0 2 183 7 3-42 26.14 4.81 32.5

Abdul Rehman 2 17.0 1 112 3 2-58 37.33 6.58 34.0

Shoaib Malik 5 23.0 2 141 3 3-61 47.00 6.13 46.0

Umar Gul 5 45.0 4 243 5 2-56 48.60 5.40 54.0

Rao Iftikhar 4 35.0 1 201 3 2-52 67.00 5.74 70.0

Shahid Afridi 4 37.0 0 223 2 1-34 111.50 6.02 111.0

Fawad Alam 1 10.0 0 56 0 – – 5.60 –

Salman Butt 5 1.3 0 16 0 – – 10.66

After Pakistan's loss in the ODI series, all eyes are set on the ongoing Indo-Pak Test series in India. While the team captain and management have promised to make Pakistan bounce back in the Test, the game's experts are weighing the pros and cons of the changes made in both the sides for Test cricket.

As for the viewers, they believe Pakistan have the firepower to win in India something which they showed in Mohali and the last ODI in Jaipur, but they need to really apply themselves. The fact of the matter is that the Pakistan team should learn from India who won through a good team effort. When the bowlers couldn't do well, the batsmen took responsibility. As simple as that.

As we know, both the teams have made a number of changes in their Test squads for the ongoing three Test rubber. However, the recalled players' list indicates that both the sides have laid an added emphasis on spin bowling.Pakistan have recalled leg spinner Danish Kaneria while India's off spinner Harbhajan Singh is also back in the side. In a way it seems to be Kaneria v Singh cricket as the tracks for Test matches are likely to be spinner-friendly. As such Kaneria is the key component in Pakistan's bowling arsenal for the Test series on slow and turning wickets.

It may be mentioned here that Kaneria has also been in good form in domestic cricket. Though he was passing through a bad patch during the series against South Africa, he picked up 17 wickets in three matches for Habib Bank and has been among the leading wicket-takers in domestic cricket for them this season.

However, Pakistan cannot rely on one bowler to pull them through in the entire Test series. Their bowlers will have to make the Indian batsmen work hard for their runs and may take two or three wickets each. The Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar can also tame the India batsmen through reverse swing on the turning tracks.

Besides, Mohammed Sami will also add fire to the bowling department. Sami was not included in Pakistan's last Test squad against South Africa, but has been impressive this season in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for Karachi Whites. Coupled with Asif's non-availability, it has made him "the best option to partner Shoaib Akhtar". It seems that Pakistan have struck the right chord by selecting Sami for the series.

Sami has picked up 21 wickets in domestic cricket this season while captaining the Whites, and had a career-best 8-39 that sealed his spot. Sami is in outstanding form at the moment. Along with Shoaib and Umar Gul, he should form a potent attack.

The Test series is also of special significance for middle order batsman Faisal Iqbal, who too has earned a recall on the basis of his good show in domestic cricket. Faisal had scored 44 runs in his second innings at Karachi against South Africa. He didn't play in the following Test at Lahore, but that was only because the Pakistan Board was eager to give Inzamam-ul-Haq a proper send-off. Faisal has also been playing well in domestic cricket this season.

As for Pakistan's general batting line up, the magnificent form of Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and opener Salman Butt are the plus points for them. One hopes that the Pakistan team produce good results in the Test series, setting aside their loss in the one-day matches. Pakistan gave a forceful showing in the final one-dayer last Sunday and should continue with the same in the ongoing Test series.

As for Pakistan's ODI series loss, it is being attributed to a lack of aggression on part of the losers. The reality is that we lacked everything i.e. planning, strategy and most importantly on-the-field tactical maneuvers by the captain which are considered to be the key to success.

The captain and the players have pledged to bounce back in the Test matches, but for that they will have to play according to the requirements of the situation. They will have to change their approach to the game at different junctures of the game. Mere intensity and aggression devoid of strategy and tactical maneuvers cannot guarantee success.

The reality is that the Pakistan team has failed to rise to the occasion on this tour so far during which apart from the second one-dayer in Mohali and the last one-dayer, they have failed to impress much. They are professionals and as such should try to remember the good points and forget the bad ones when they play Test cricket.

As for the captain, Shoaib Malik has failed to impress with his leadership capabilities as he failed to read conditions and faltered on a numerous occasions in India. However, he shone in the last ODI which is a good omen for the team.

He opted to bat in the fourth one-dayer completely ignoring that the dew factor would play a major role in the must-win game. Again, in another match he made wrong bowling changes. He did not display match-winning tactical manoeuvres on the field. Compared to Malik, his India counterpart altered his field tactics. That's why they got wickets at the right time and it mattered a lot.Not only the Pakistan captain showed a lack of tactful approach on-the-field, but the batsmen too did not score enough runs in the must-win fourth ODI. At times he appeared to be clueless on the field during the ODIs. Malik will have to come up with shrewd strategies in tight situations, exploiting the weaknesses of the opponent players in and out.

One would agree with former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram who believes Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik will have to improve his individual performance if he is to get the respect of his teammates.

"Malik has to perform every second game to prove that he is worth a place in the national team," Wasim is quoted to have said.

"Only if he does that consistently will he be able to gain the respect from his players. When Shoaib Malik took over as the captain, he was the new face of Pakistan cricket. People expected too much too soon from him. But after just two bad series, people in Pakistan have started asking questions about him," Wasim was further quoted to have said.

It may be mentioned here that Malik took over as Pakistan captain after a disastrous World Cup and got off to a promising start with a One-day International (ODI) series win over Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and a second place finish in the World Twenty20 championship in South Africa.

But it has all been downhill since then for Malik as a captain. Under him, Pakistan lost both the Test and One-day International series against South Africa at home and also lost the one-day series against India.