Inzamam set for emotional finale

SECOND TEST, Lahore:
Pakistan v South Africa (starts 0600 BST)

Inzamam-ul-Haq will seek to end his Pakistan career in style when the second and final Test against South Africa starts in Lahore on Monday.

The 37-year-old batsman is set to play his last match for his country before retiring from international cricket.

The former captain returns to the side after missing Pakistan's 160-run defeat in the first Test for personal reasons.

"It'll be emotional but I'm praying I can go out on a winning note. It'd be the best possible farewell," he said.

Captain Shoaib Malik believes Inzamam's return will help his side level the series and deny South Africa a rare win in the subcontinent and only their second series victory in Pakistan.

He said: "His return has boosted confidence in the camp. If Inzamam can get a big score it would be the icing on the cake for us, but we have to fire as a team as well."

Inzamam, who will be playing in his 120th Test, needs just 20 runs to overtake Javed Miandad's 8,832 runs and become his country's all-time leading Test scorer.

But South Africa captain Graeme Smith feels the return of the Pakistan legend, who retired from the ond-day game after Pakistan's traumatic World Cup, could disrupt the home side.

"They have a young captain and how he is going to manage it all is going to be key for him. It can put a lot of pressure on him," said Smith.

"Inzamam carries a huge aura around him in this set-up, which I have noticed playing against Pakistan in the last two years. It will be key how Malik handles it."

Leading batsman Mohammad Yousuf also returns to the Pakistan side after regaining full fitness.

Pakistan are expected to drop Misbah-ul-Haq and Faisal Iqbal to make room for Inzamam and Yousuf.

Malik said stopping Jacques Kallis would be the key to his side's hopes.

Kallis, who was dropped for the World Twenty20, returned to South Africa's side for the first Test in Karachi and scored two centuries as his side clinched a commanding victory.

Pakistan dropped Kallis twice in his first innings and he made them pay with a superb display.

"Kallis was the main difference between the two teams in the first Test," said Malik. "We made mistakes in the first Test and hope not to repeat them.

"We need to dismiss Kallis early and have set a few plans for him. The pitch here has bounce and will help the bowlers."

South Africa remain concerned with the form of their main strike bowler, Makhaya Ntini, who took just one wicket, and could recall veteran Shaun Pollock.

"Ntini has struggled since the start of this season but he is working hard. But obviously the selection committee has some decisions to make," Smith said.

"We have given ourselves a great chance of winning a series in the subcontinent and it's something we are hungry to achieve."

Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Salman Butt, Taufiq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq, Rao Iftikhar.

South Africa squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Paul Harris, Jean-Paul Duminy.

Source: BBC Sport