Pakistan brace for record-breaking Muralitharan, Mendis

Sri Lankan spin magicians Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis loom as major threats for Pakistan in their three-match one-day series which opens here Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Muralitharan, already the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 769, will have the extra motivation of overhauling the tally of one-day wickets, currently held by Pakistan's Wasim Akram with 502.

The wily off-spinner needs just nine wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game.

But the unorthodox Mendis holds more challenges for the home team.

The 23-year-old army officer is not a big turner of the ball like his more illustrious partner Muralitharan, but the key to his success is the way he grips the ball with his fingers and flicks it to bowl a variety of deliveries.

Last week he became the quickest bowler to get 50 wickets in one-day cricket, having made his debut only last year.

In his only match against Pakistan, Mendis took four wickets. He then took six wickets in the very next match against India to help Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup here in July last year.

Pakistan's first plan is to outwit Sri Lanka with pace as they named six fast bowlers in their squad of 15 with fit-again Shoaib Akhtar leading the pack.

Akhtar, 33, missed all matches in Pakistan's 3-0 win against the West Indies at Abu Dhabi in November last year.

The home team can also take heart from Sri Lanka's unimpressive batting despite winning the tri-series in Bangladesh last week.

Pakistan hastily arranged the one-day series with Sri Lanka after India pulled out of a planned tour amid hightened political tension in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

The second match will be played here on Wednesday, while the final match is in Lahore on Saturday.

Pakistan doing homework to tackle Mendis: Intikhab Alam

Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam on Saturday said spinner Ajantha Mendis was the biggest threat for them in the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka and they were preparing well to tackle him.

Pointing out that Muttiah Muralitharan and Mendis were best spinners in the world, he said the Pakistan team knew Murlai's bowling style well, having played him a lot, but was working on ways to counter Mendis.

"We have been watching videos of both of them specially Mendis and we will be ready for him. We have collected information but that is not for public consumption.

"We have seen videos of all his (Mendis') recent matches and we will go out and be positive against him," he said.

Alam said that the team was using unorthodox methods to prepare for Mendis but said he could not disclose details.

Alam is impressed by Mendis, who he feels adds to the charm of the game which can be used in popularising Test cricket.

"I think when you have players like Mendis around it adds to the charm of the game and unconventional players like him can help boost the popularity of Test cricket," Alam said on Saturday.

Alam said Mendis was not a conventional and orthodox spinner and that is why he had gained success in such a short period of time.

"In the past there have been some bowlers like him Sonny Ramadin of West Indies, Gleeson from Australia and they always were a mystery for the batsmen because of their unusual bowling grip and variations," he said.

Butt claims to have broken the Mendis code

Pakistan opener Salman Butt claims to have found the key to success against Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis after watching him bowl during the Indian Premier League trials for Kolkata Knight Riders. "He bowls like the typical finger tape tennis bowlers you find playing on the streets of Pakistan and his success comes from the fact that he has a very good faster ball without any visible change to his bowling action or grip on the ball," Butt told.

Butt said he would now be more comfortable while facing up to the unorthodox off-spin of Mendis during Pakistan's upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

"At the end of the season, Mendis had appeared in trials for the Kolkata Knight Riders and I got a chance to watch him bowl and also played him in the nets," Butt said.

"He uses his top finger to obtain speed off the surface and turn without changing his action," the opener added.

Bowlers who use just two fingers to obtain turn and speed from tennis balls covered with tape in street cricket in Pakistan are described as tape tennis specialists.

Mendis has been a runaway success since the Asia Cup held in Pakistan last year during which he bamboozled the batsmen with his variations taking six for 13 in the final against India in Karachi.

Mendis has taken 48 wickets at an average of 10.12 in 18 one-day internationals besides scalping 26 in three Tests against India.