Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq on Wednesday said it is wrong to call his side the weakest-ever to play in India as it has the wherewithal to beat the hosts in the three-Test cricket series beginning next week.
"People have their opinions. Yes, ours is an inexperienced side, but to say they are weak is not correct.
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"The team I have been leading has been around for two years. They have played against different opposition in different venues. So they are not totally inexperienced," the skipper added.
Asked if the series could decide his fate as captain, Inzamam replied, "People said the same thing even when we played India at home. These things keep going on. It is not as if there was no Indo-Pak series before, or that there is not going to be one in the future.
"In fact, if I had won in Australia, I would have taken it as a bigger achievement."
Pakistan have little time to regroup after the warm-up match with only two days before the first Test in Mohali, starting on March 8.
Coach Bob Woolmer said he has "no choice" when it comes to scheduling of matches and so would not make complains.
"Well, the itinerary of the matches arrived the day before we left. So there was not much choice. Whether I am happy or not it is immaterial," Woolmer said, adding ideally he would like to be in Mohali on the evening of March 5.
Woolmer said the playing eleven for Thursday's match is not yet decided but added "the players will be playing at the Test match level".
The coach also said altitude would not be a problem.
"It is not that high, our hotel is high, had to do lot of climbing up and down. It is obviously very nice place to play," he said.
"The cricket ground I see here could become very soon one of the most beautiful grounds in world cricket. The backdrop of the mountain and other things make it beautiful.
"I don't how the pitch is going to be though. It looks slow and that may be different from Mohali."
Asked if Shoaib Malik, whose bowling action has been reported to the International Cricket Council, would play in the series, Woolmer said, "[There is] every chance, I don't know about bowling though. We are still waiting for the ICC [to give its findings on him]."
Board XI captain Mohammad Kaif said he was disappointed at being omitted from the team for the first Test despite a good outing with the bat this season.
"Since I made the comeback in the Test matches I have done reasonably well. I have been hitting the ball well and I was feeling confident," Kaif said.
"But these things happen and the selectors know what they are doing. I try and keep the smile on my face," the Uttar Pradesh batsman said.
Kaif said his team's primary objective would be to make things difficult for the tourists ahead of the Test series.
"I don't think I've to prove much in this game as my domestic form has been quite okay, but all the games are important.
"And, as the captain I know how to set an example for the boys as we've a young bunch of players, who are all looking forward to prove themselves.
"Since it's just a three-day affair I don't see a result, but we won't be taking this just like a practise match and will make things difficult for Pakistan."
On the match being held at a high altitude, he said, "Players are used to playing at different places and they don't find much of a difference.
"It is just a case of mental adjustment. Players from the north are used to such conditions and the rest too travel across a lot, so it doesn't affect the players."
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