tour they will be without star player Javed Miandad.

Tour manager Kladid Mahmood last night confirmed that the top batsman will be flying directly home today from Antigua to attend to "engagements'', confirming speculation earlier this week that the player could be unavailable for the fixtures against the Bermuda national team tomorrow and Sunday.

"He cannot make it, but everybody else is looking forward to the visit to Bermuda. We will be traveling with a squad of 13 for the two matches,'' said Mahmood.

Pakistan, who were rested yesterday after rain prevented any further play in the third and final Test, have seen their original squad of 17 reduced because of injuries to batsman Aamir Sohail, leg-spinner Mushtag Ahmed and fast bowler Aaqib Javed.

Still there remains a wealth of talent in the squad which suggest that local cricket fans will see plenty of good cricket and benefit from their visit.

Bermuda's national coach Doug Ferguson put the squad through its final training session last night at Southampton Oval and there was a long meeting afterward with the players and the selection committee.

Albert Steede was to have given his hamstring a test during the session but it is not known how he came through it and whether he will be available to play at all on the weekend. Earlier in the day, though, he hinted that a final decision would be made today.

The Bermuda Cricket Board of Control has already confirmed that all-rounder Clevie Wade will captain the team if Steede has not fully recovered. One player certain to miss out this weekend is batsman Dexter Basden who did not train at all with the squad this week.

Basden said last night that he still had an interest in representing Bermuda, but indicated that his son was involved in a freak accident on Sunday and was taken to hospital for treatment. "He has been good one day and not too good the next day, so I have been taking care of him. The timing of it has simply prevented me from training,'' said Basden.