THE Pakistan cricket team arrived in England this week, travelling from the sizzling summer heat of Pakistan to an England still shrouded in the gloom of a wet spring.

The weather in itself is likely to present problems to the Pakistan players, who are being asked to play a number of one-day games and a couple of tests, the first of which is only a fortnight away, in the coldest weather they have known for playing cricket.

The party of 17 players is led by Waqar Younis, no stranger to English fans or conditions, who was one of the fastest bowlers and one with an unmatched reverse swing, in the last decade.

He may no longer thunder down the wicket but still has a lot of quality bowling left in him.

He has at his disposal Shoaib Akhtar, the "Rawalpindi Express", who did much to help Pakistan reach the Cricket World Cup, and who also played in England in 1999.

As usual the Pakistan party contains a clutch of unknown, at least in England, young players including three teenagers, many of whom will be trying to make a name for themselves for the future.

Let us hope that the Pakistan cricket team is instrumental in igniting the English summer and the harbinger of an exciting summer's cricket.

MEHFIL, the Asian language programme on Wycombe's radio station elevenSEVENTY, has been shunted from its usual Wednesday spot to Tuesdays recently.

According to producer Raja Amir Dad Khan, "it is a temporary rescheduling to accommodate commentary on the midweek matches of Wycombe Wanderers".

He extends his apologies to the Asian community for the confusion the change has caused, as Mehfil has become part of Wednesday evenings for many people.