There could be no more ideal setting for Wasim Akram's last Test in England than Old Trafford which hosts the second and final Test between England and Pakistan starting today. He first played there in 1987 and a year later became Lancashire's overseas player, starting a relationship that lasted a decade.

Although his county career ended in 1998, the all-rounder still has a house in Manchester and is desperate to give the crowd something to remember him by, especially after Pakistan's lacklustre effort in losing the first Test at Lord's by an innings and nine runs.

Pakistan did not help themselves at Lord's by playing neither off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq nor leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

One of them, most probably Saqlain, whose ability to turn the ball on almost any surface is well-respected in England thanks to his championship-winning efforts with Surrey, is likely to play this time.

Old Trafford pitches usually have something in them for most bowlers and with Manchester having experienced one of its wettest starts to the season, there should be some moisture for the quicks to exploit.

But their bowlers' performance will count for nothing if the batsmen fail to improve on their Lord's efforts. Then they failed to adjust to top-class seam bowling from Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough on a responsive surface.

England will be without captain Nasser Hussain, his finger fractured by Shoaib Akhtar, in the Rawalpindi Express' most significant act of the First Test.

Pace bowler Matthew Hoggard, whose back trouble ruled him out of Lord's, replaces Yorksire colleague and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom in the squad.