Majid circle is split but Scots spinner hopes to cast spell on Pakistan

The Scotland bowler is Paisley bred, but the branch of his family in Pakistan will have mixed feelings when the tourists arrive in Glasgow for the first leg of a visit, which will also include three one-day matches against England.

Majid’s off-spin will aim to make it a lively welcome for a visiting line-up with an unfamiliar appearance. Chastened by recent failures, the Pakistanis are re-building, perhaps with undue haste. Jettisoning the old, throwing the new into the wind of international play, everything is justified by their target of success at the next World Cup.

That aspiration is shared by Scotland, but the list of omissions has left the tourists short of experience.

Eight senior players, including Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar and, most notably, Inzamam-ul Haq, have been discarded with only a thinnest of olive branches held out for their eventual recall, and disarray, which seems to plague Pakistan, is the rule.

Abdul Razzaq was left out after a disagreement over his arrival date, and is replaced in the 16-man party by uncapped all-rounder Bilal Asad, and Azhar Mahmood, currently playing for Surrey, has returned to favour after his banishment in the wake of World Cup disenchantment.

With Javed Miandad re-installed as coach, initial results have been mixed. In the recent triangular tournament in Sri Lanka, the young squad reached the finals, but lost to New Zealand, further strengthening the calls for an overhaul of the country’s first-class game.

Majid is unsurprised at the turmoil: "Pakistan might be one of the most talented teams around, but there always seems to be in-fighting among them," he observes.

Yet for a Scotland team whose horizons have been extended by the success of the Saltires, they represent an attainable scalp.

Haq says: "There won’t be much of a difference, I think, because every county team we’ve gone against has players who have been at a higher international level anyway. But we just have to keep that same belief that we’ve shown in the NCL.

"It will be a nice change for us from that, as well, and if we show the same confidence that we’ve demonstrated against county teams, there’s no reason why we can’t beat Pakistan. It’s 11 against 11."

Of course, the Scotland side next weekend will not be adorned by the imported talents of Jon Kent or Rahul Dravid: this time, they are on their own. Much like Majid’s grandparents were when they landed on these shores three decades ago, in search of work and a supposedly better life.

The Kelburne bowler, who is 20, embraces that dual identity, like many Asians in Scotland. "I’ve been back over several times. It’s good to see my roots, to know where my family came from."

The memories, inevitably, are vivid and warm.

"I always remember how beautiful the weather seemed to be every time we arrived. It was always 30 or 40 degrees, which was great. Having so much family over there was a great feeling. I felt at home there because they made us all so welcome every time we visited."

Cricket was never far away. His family took him regularly to games in both countries, developing a passion which runs deep.

"Cricket is a religion there, and they take it very, very seriously. Possibly too seriously sometimes. People have to realise that it’s only a game, and that there are more important things in life."

Much of his geographically- disparate clan will be following every step of the proceedings in Glasgow. "I’ve been receiving a few phone calls wishing me the best of luck." Not too much surely? "A few have urged me not to try too hard," he smiles. "They have to realise, though, that I was born in Scotland, and this is my first objective rather than Pakistan.

"I’m sure if I bowled them out they’d be happy for me regardless, at least I think they would. My family will obviously be supporting me. They’re my No1 fans."

Since making his Scotland debut last year against England’s amateurs in Belfast, Majid has given them much to cheer.

"We call him Magic now," says captain Craig Wright, whose nine-wicket haul to date is the only analysis to better Majid’s half-dozen haul.

"I realise now more that if you throw a bad ball at this level, you’ll be punished, so I’m trying to improve my concentration," says the young cricketer.

"But all this cricket will definitely improve our chances when the next World Cup qualifiers come around in 2005 in Ireland. Playing at that higher level every other week is doing us so much good.

"So Pakistan better watch out..."