By Grockle
November 11 2005

Our mad Tiverton born vet leaves Liverpool on a regular basis to go somewhere, watch a test and then come back, works all the hours God sends and then jet off to the next one. Then shespends the summer paying off the plastic. She works hard so enjoy!!

The Bagpuss Tales 2006 - Episode 1 - the warm ups!

It is now a week since I and the saggy-eared one left English shores for Pakistan. The first five days were spent in Lahore; with its wide tree-lined boulevards, smart shops and ready supply of fine G and Ts at the International Club. No Blackthorn, Murree is the local beer, brewed at Rawalpindi, bottled and sold to the expat community. Alcohol is banned for native Pakistanis, all our luggage was x-rayed as we LEFT the airport on arrival in Lahore to check for illicit grog.

Three sunny days were spent at the Baggy Jinner - I have still to discover why the local park is named after a character in a BBC childrens programme but it is very flattering. The park, otherwise known as Lawrence Gardens, has a fine collection of trees and is also the location of the state library. Security was pseudo-tight - drapes were put up to surround the area of the park where the Gymkhana Club has its cricket ground, an x-ray machine like those you walk through at the airport to screen all the crowd as they arrive. Ladies, of course, have to be checked to one side of the gateway. Local papers reported there to be 600 police officers providing security at the ground; I was not aboput to spend time counting but a proportion of these were to be found enjoying a uiet siesta at any one time.

Special guests - ie local dignitaries, members of the Gymkhana Club and anyone appearing to be an England supporter, could gain access inside the wrought iron fence around the ground itself. Local supporters, at an estimate a couple of thousand at their peak, had to stand around the ground and peer through the fence at the match whilst the Barmy Army were regularly supplied with tea by their tea-wallah.

The less said about the game-aka the Battle of Wounded Knee- the better. Batting early in the morning session certainly was not easy but there were some reckless shots too in there. In the first innings our bowlers got us off the hook with just a 10 run lead for the home side, but this could not be repeated in the second innings and our attack did not look particularly threatening on the final day. However, I had my concerns a year ago after the warm-up game at Potchefstroom and we all know what happened in South Africa last winter.

So on to Multan, home town to the Pakistan captain and a city of 'shrines, dust and beggars' according to my guide book. A seven hour journey on the train from Lahore, the early part of the journey accompanied by a rifle-wielding policeman in our carriage, who got very twitchy whenever I attempted to get photos of the local scenery and muttered about permits. Will have to try to get my holiday snaps on the return journey.

If Lahore is Pakistan Lite, Multan is very much the ancient city, with a mixed heritage from Alexander the Great through moghul, sihk and British rule. Guide books even refer to a local commander killed in battle here, one Mr Agnew - we are staying in the same hotel as the TMS crew and the BBC's cricket correspondent is claiming a famous ancestor.

Off to the ground this morning to watch the net practice. Our journey through chaotic traffic - large lorries painted and decorated to glorious extent, puts Eddie Stobart to shame, cars, minibuses, mopeds, bicycles and carts drawn by horse, mule, donkey or ox. Back at home this mix of traffic would result in a complete logjam but somehow here everyone seems to keep moving, beep beep on the horn every few seconds more as a conversational greeting than as the threat to other users it seems back home.

The ground at Multan is a fairly new stadium and will probably be the nicest venue on the Pakistan tour. Access to the ground was a little tricky without accreditation but eventually accomplished, but as we had to sit on specially unwrapped upholstered chairs many yards from the action it was difficult to tell what was going on. I can report that Peterson was seen bowling a little in the nets, but no possibility of a report on the moustache growing competition I'm afraid.

Rumour has it the pitch seems dry with a little grass still on it - will probably offer some bounce for their spin attack rather than the slow, low turner that may have been expected. No announcements yet on the team line up - I dont expect Vaughan to make it so Bell will no doubt play - Collingwood will supply back up for the seamers and both Giles and Udal will be in the line up. Probably