Inzamam doubt for Twenty20 match

Twenty20 International, Johannesburg
South Africa v Pakistan
Play starts Friday 1600 GMT

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is doubtful for the Twenty20 international against South Africa on Friday.

He is still battling the back problem which restricted him on the last day of the final Test in Cape Town, won by the hosts for a 2-1 series verdict.

South Africa will rest Jacques Kallis, Andrew Hall, Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel.

But skipper Graeme Smith insisted: "We're a powerful one-day team and we're confident."

He continued: "We've been pretty consistent in one-day cricket over the last few years and we would like to carry that on going forward to the World Cup."

The Twenty20 match in Johannesburg will be followed by five limited overs internationals and Smith added: "It should be a fantastic series.

"They've got some world-class players and a good all-round team. In South Africa we've had the better of them, but we've got to show them a lot of respect."

Pakistan's selection options have been increased by the arrival of all-rounders Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

All three have proven to be one-day match-winners in the past, with Afrida and Razzaq among the game's most destructive hitters.

The selectors have also opted to take another look at opener Imran Nazir, who played the last of his 61 one-day internationals in JUly 2004.

And there could be a chance for reserve keeper Zulqarnain Haider to stake a claim for a World Cup place following Kamran Akmal's undistinguished work behind the stumps in the Test matches.

"Sometimes a rest does you good as an international player, especially when you are going through a bad patch as Kamran is right now," chief selector Wasim Bari said earlier this week.

"I will recommend it to the management, though I am not sure how they will play it."

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South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis (vice-captain), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andrè Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus.

Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Imran Nazir, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Zulqarnain Haider, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif, Abdul Rehman, Shabbir Ahmed, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Sami