five matches remaining.Pressure is something top te

Misbah-ul-Haq has admitted it was a worrying moment to see his star spinner, Yasir Shah, poleaxed in the nets when he took a blow on the shoulder on Wednesday.Yasir was sent for a precautionary scan but Misbah said he would be okay for a match where he is expected to have another significant impact on a ground with a history of helping spinners.He is the fulcrum of Pakistans attack, allowing them to operate with four frontline bowlers. The one Test he has missed since his debut was against England in Abu Dhabi last year, after he suffered a back spasm. England were able to score 598 for 9 and almost stole a victory on the final day. Yasir may not have made a major difference on what was a dead pitch for four days and two sessions, but Pakistans attack was far less daunting without him.Since Yasir returned, Pakistan have won three consecutive Tests against England - at Dubai, Sharjah and Lords - during which he has taken 25 wickets.Seven of the last 12 five-wicket hauls in Tests at Old Trafford have been taken by spinners and although that period overlaps the rotation of the square the surface has retained his characteristics of offering bounce and turn.However, even buoyed by their success at Lords, Misbah was eager to stress how the players start with a blank sheet of paper in this match, despite Yasir riding on the crest of a wave following his 10-wicket haul which propelled him to No. 1 in the world.It doesnt matter which ground we play on, Misbah said. If a bowler is really good he can produce results anywhere. He bowled beautifully at Lords but everyone will need to bowl well again, not just Yasir. All four need to step up.How England respond to the challenge posed by Yasir has been a recurring theme and their performance at Lords, especially in the first innings when they were well placed to compete with Pakistans 339, revived memories of collapses inspired by Shane Warne, which came more from within the mind of the batsmen than the actual threat posed by the surface.But saying that Misbah is outwardly calm is an understatement so it was hardly surprising that he was not shouting from the rooftops about a repeat performance in Manchester and instead was preparing for a better showing from Englands batsmenIts all about how you apply yourself, overcome mistakes of previous Test. Every game is new, wicket different, you have to adjust and that could sometimes be a challenge when youre a little bit down and short on confidence, but international players can do that. We have to be ready for that. If they play Yasir well we should have other plans. While there are many reasons for Pakistan to be a content, confident side going into the second Test they may want to look with caution at the example of India in 2014 when they won at Lords only to fold in the following three Tests. The matchwinning skills in Pakistans first-choice attack - injuries would test their depth - mean that such a swing in fortunes is more unlikely. There is even an argument to say that in Mohammad Amirs case, with the pressure of his comeback Test dealt with and overs under his belt, he may be better for the run out.Another key difference is that in the India series two lively surfaces at Old Trafford and The Oval played firmly into Englands hands. In this series, Pakistans attack is as likely to enjoy such conditions as Englands.Still, Pakistan are not without issues the main one being their opening combination of Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood. They made scores of 40, 7, 0 and 24 at Lords, meaning that Azhar Ali was exposed early at No. 3 and Younis Khan was at the crease inside 20 overs in both innings.Pakistan nailed their colours to the mast by playing the same batsmen in both their pre-series warm-ups and the only chance for the reserve players to have a hit will be in the two-game against Worcestershire following the second Test. Still, Masood could find himself under pressure if he does not deliver at Old Trafford with Englands seamers seemingly having his number outside off stump.It can happen in these conditions against the new ball, Misbah said. Dont be impatient, give them confidence and back them. You have got to believe they can deliver, thats the only way.Hafeez has now completed his 12-month suspension for a suspect action and is eligible for a re-test, which Pakistan are considering trying to fit in before the third Test at Edgbaston.That could give us a big advantage, Misbah said, if we have him when the opposition have four or five left-handers.A serious fifth-bowling option, and a spinner who turns the ball the opposite direction to Yasir. It would make an already compelling Pakistan attack look even more threatening. For now, they are managing superbly well with what they have available although they would probably appreciate Yasir not being peppered by his team-mates. Custom Wizards T-shirts . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Custom Wizards Jersey China .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. http://www.customwizardsjersey.com/ .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Custom Wizards Jerseys . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Gilbert Arenas Jersey Large . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it.Mark Hughes says Tottenhams need for three points at the Britannia Stadium on Monday should benefit his Stoke side. Spurs, who are attempting to catch Leicester at the top of the table, could be 10 points behind by the time they kick off in the Potteries, live on Sky Sports..Tottenham will feel they have to win every game. I think they are running out of games now, said Hughes. They will have to be positive and try to win it, and I think that helps us. We have talked on many occasions about going up against teams that have come to the Britannia Stadium and just tried to frustrate and get people behind the ball.That is when we have struggled to get the performances and results we have wanted at home. But teams that have come and backed their ability against us and had a real go at us for the most part have come unstuck. Tottenham will handle pressure, says Mark Hughes Weve beaten Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United at home this season. If Tottenham are not consistent in all aspects of the game, they may well leave space for us.They are an outstanding team with aa good work ethic and good individual talent.ddddddddddddAnd they will feel this is a huge opportunity for them and have a real go.But we seem to do well against teams that are positive against us, so hopefully that is the case on Monday. Stoke include Manchester United among their top scalps this season Hughes also believes pressure will play a part in the game but is convinced Tottenham will be able to cope as they enter uncharted territory near the top of the table with just five matches remaining.Pressure is something top teams have to deal with and come through the other side with positive results, added the Welshman. That is their challenge, but they deal with that on a weekly basis, a daily basis. So it is not something that should faze them as a club, team or individuals. Pressure does affect players in different ways, both collectively and individually, so we may be able to use that to our benefit as well. Also See: Stoke video Stoke fixtures Stoke stats ' ' '