THE ENGLAND cricket team will prepare for their most important Test match of the summer this morning without their captain, Michael Atherton, and their coach David Lloyd.

At Lord's yesterday Lloyd struggled to control his temper - with only partial success - as the libel hearing between Imran Khan and the former England players Ian Botham and Allan Lamb at High Court 13 continued to sweep through the domestic cricket season like Hurricane Bertha.

Both Lloyd and Atherton have been called, by George Carmen QC, representing Imran, to give evidence this morning. They were required to attend court yesterday but in the end were not needed.

Tomorrow England play Pakistan at Lord's in the first Test of a series which is expected to be more demanding than that against India and with enough team problems to occupy the uncluttered mind of any captain or coach Nasser Hussain and Chris Lewis are both doubtful for the game, particularly Hussain.

Lewis, who strained a muscle in his right thigh while batting for Surrey against Sussex at Guildford, last week, was described as doubtful by Lloyd.