Saqlain problem for Pakistan

England are determined to turn a deaf ear to all talk of unrest in the Pakistan camp.

The latest suggestion doing the rounds is that Saqlain Mushtaq's name will be missing when they announce their team for Tuesday's opening one-day international.

"I've heard the rumour," said Surrey team-mate Graham Thorpe. "I've no idea whether there is any truth in it because I've not had a chance to speak to him."

Thorpe knows better than most how big a threat Saqlain poses this winter. He has not only faced him in the nets at The Oval on many occasions but also stood at slip and seen the spinner bamboozle a succession of county and international batsmen over the past few summers.

However, Saqlain has had knee injury problems of late and was nowhere to be seen last night when Pakistan played an Asian XI in a match to mark the National Stadium's newly-installed floodlights.

His place went to fellow off-spinner Shoaib Malik, who also appears in a provisional squad of 15 for Tuesday's one-dayer.

All the other players likely to face England took part, including a high-profile group said to have demanded the sacking of Javed Miandad as coach.

Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-haq, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain and Ijaz Ahmed were reportedly furious with Miandad following a disagreement over the sharing out of prize money from the recent tournament in Kenya.