Accusations in media that depleted Sri Lankans benefitted from Pakistani generosity in last week's drawn Lahore Test may have been overshadowed by build-up to the title clash, but crowds will be a major factor in Bangladesh who had hoped for A India-Pakistan final soon after the event was conceived.

One-day World Cup champions Sri Lanka, boosted by return of veteran Aravinda de Silva and bowling spearhead Chaminda Vaas who both missed the Lahore tie after sustaining injuries, will, however, have a tough task tomorrow with the Wasim Akram-led mix of young-and-experienced Pakistan raring to clinch the inaugural championship.

A partisan crowd that hoped for high-voltage action, otherwise limited only to Indo-Pakclashes, will now at least hope for a result from the five-day tie to be played in stifling heat and on a slow wicket.

``We are geared up and motivated enough to play good cricket in this important game despite the weather conditions which are not suitable,'' Akram said after his team sweated it out under the blazing sun at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.

Despite the sweltering heat and a slow wicket, Pakistan will be under greater pressure to produce a result.

If the match is drawn, the team securing more bonus points for batting and bowling in the first 100 overs of the first innings will be declared the winner.

If the points are equal, the run-rate of the teams will be taken into account to decide the best Test team in Asia -- hardly a pleasing prospect for the purists.

Akram, who stands accused in betting and match-fixing charges back home, would surely try to see his team going all out to win the tournament to silence his critics.

The Pakistani skipper rebutted queries from newsmenregarding allegations in the press about Lahore Test against Sri Lanka being fixed. ``We played positive cricket,'' he said. ``If the inclement weather conditions had not interrupted the match, we would have won it.''

Sri Lankan manager Ranjit Fernando expressed his anguish over the ``media's attempt to undermine his team's ability to qualify for the final.''

He said the team was hurt with the allegations that Pakistan deliberately allowed them to notch up the required seven bonus points to avoid the title clash with India.

``It's not easy to get points against Pakistan. We got them because we played well. The boys will now have to prove themselves all over again and win the match,'' Fernando said during the nets here.

Aravinda de Silva, standing in for injured skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said: ``we are here to win. Pakistan is a good side and this is a game of pressure and if we can put it on opponents, we will definitely do well.'' He opined that, ``our bowlers will have to bowl their hearts out totame the formidable Pakistani line-up.''

Both captains said they would finalise their line-ups later.

Teams

Pakistan (from): Wasim Akram (captain), Saeed Anwar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Imran Nazir, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Moin Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan, Shahid Nazir

Sri Lanka (from): Aravinda de Silva (captain), Russel Arnold, Aviska Gunawardene, Mahela Jayawardena, Hashan Tillekeratne, Marvan Atapattu, Chandika Hathurasinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, Ruchira Perera, Suresh Perera, Ruwan Kalpage, Upul Chandana

Umpires: David Shepherd (England), David Cowie (New Zealand). TV Umpire: Venkat Ramaswamy (India)