ISLAMABAD, July 9: The newly appointed Cricket Manager of the Pakistani team, Zaheer Abbas, has expressed the hope that Pakistan would be able to break the Asia Cup jinx and win the tournament for the first time.Despite the fact that Abbas would be accompanying a highly depleted team to Asia Cup starting in Sri Lanka early next week, he said ``I have faith in the ability of the selected Pakistan team to win the Asia Cup for the first time ever''.

Pakistan, a former World Champion, has never won the Cup since its inception in the early 1980s. Abbas, told a local daily that despite the unavailability of a number of regulars ``we have still managed to select a balanced and variable side''.

Five regular Pakistani bowlers, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Muhammad Zahid and Mohammed Akram and one batsman, Ijaz Ahmed, have expressed their inability to join the team due to their preoccupation with the English cricket.

The team, however, would benefit from the return of opening batsman Aamir Sohail, whose two-year ban was lifted by the PCB.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.