KARACHI. Mar 2: England ami Pakistan clash on Sunday for the first time since the 1992 ball-tampering row but both sides insist'the tends of the pas' " r purr ti>

cies.

"What happened before is in the past and I don't. think there will be any problem between the sides." said Pakistan captain Wasim Akram.

England skipper Mike Atherton said. T don't think there will be any undue tension between the sides on Sunday..

"Wa'sim Akram and I are two captains arid we are good mates from our time together at Lancashire. We will be looking to foster good relations between the two sides."

Meanwhile, the defending champions, still smarting a five-wicket defeat at the hands of‘South Africa, refuted sugges-tion they would lose to Endand and New Zealand in order to stay in Pakistan for their Quarterfinals.

1 have been misquoted." coach lirtikhab Alam-Mid ef a newspaper article. “We have a moral duty to play fair and square."

Alam was quoted In the Karachi-based newspaper The. Dawn saying. "We can lose both the game, the format has been designed like that.'

"At this stage, we have with us options of picking . and choosing our ■ venue for the quarterfinal, and if we decide losing both games we can play at Faisalabad. 1 don't see any harm in such a proposition .'

Alam was reported saying.

Pakistan s loss to South Africa meant they will likely travel to India for their quarterfinal match.

"We are happy to go to India." said Skipper Wasim Akram.

"It is good we had a bad game al the beginning, we can now put our house in order." lie said.

Pakistan is expected to make two changes — off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq will make room for medium paceman Aaquib Javed while veteran batsman Javed Miandad returns to the side at the expense of Ramiz Raja. '

Miandad confirmed a minor injury forced him to miss the South Africa match and not a reported disagreement with the team management.

Miandad said. "Every match is important, especially in the World Cup. How can one think of giving points to any of the teams? It s a one-day game and you can't plan."

The England iriateh will be Miandad's last international outing in front of his home crrjwd and Akram suggested he might honour the 38-year-old batsman by asking him to lead the team out.

Pakistan, however, isn't the only team facing problems.

Despite qualifying for the quarterfinal, controversy and injuries have plagued England.

The visitors are trying desperately to .regroup under troubled captain Michael Atherton, who compounded his team's worries with his personal play.

While seam bowler Peter Martin may miss Sunday's match after suffering a recurrence of a long-standing back injury.

Martin was forced to miss Friday’s practice gathe against the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) at the Gymkhana Club which England lost by five wickets to deepen the gloom on top of their chequered from in the early tournament games.

Team manager Ray Illingworth said: "Peter has made the problem sine he was 18 and It strikes him occasionally.

Net! Fairbrother Is also rated as a slight doubt for Sunday's mat^h after tweaking a hamstring while batting. The Lancashire player was able to field, however, and should be fit.

Illingworth scotched suggestions wicketkeepdr Jack Russell would be dropped to

make way for an extra batsman.

Russell, who along with Graham Thorpe, batted for the KCCA side, made 25 from 36 balls and afterwards Illingworth" said: “Jack will definitely play on Sunday."

Robin Smith, who' has yet to play In this World Cup following groin and calf injuries, did his prospects of selection little good ' making just 24 after

opening the innings.

Illingworth said afterwards: • The defeat isn’t disastrous as the math thing was to get all seven batsmen some time in the middle, which we have done.

Pakistan have one doubt, with wicket-keeper Rashid Latif still nursing a badly bruised finger.

The 28-year-qld Latif had to go off against South Africa after damaging- the finger while fielding a powerful throw of Saeed Anwar.

"He was been given treatment today. We had an X-ray yesterday arid nothing is broken bui it is badly bruised. We will try to give him treatment tomorrow and he will be all right." said Inttkhab Alam.

TEAMS

PAKISTAN: Wasim Akram (Captain). Aamir Sohail. Saeed Anwar. Ijaz Ahmed Javed Miandad. Salim Malik. Inza-mam-ul-Haq. Ramiz Raja. Rashid Latif. Waqar Younis. Aaquib Javed. Ataur Rehman. Mushtaq Ahmed. Saqlain Mus-taq.

ENGLANDS: Mike Atherton (Captain). Alec Stewart. Robin Smith. Graeme Hick. Graham Thorpe, Neil Fairbrother. Jack Russell, Dermot Reeve. Dominic Cork, Phillip Defrellas. Nell Smith. Richard Illingworth. Daren Gough. Peter Martin. ■