Cricket: Taylor's big incentive

THE AUSTRALIAN captain, Mark Taylor, will be hoping to rewrite his personal record book and Test match history when he leads his team out in the first of a three-match series against Pakistan starting today.

Taylor is bidding to be the first Australian captain to win a series in Pakistan in 39 years and erase memories of the pair he scored on his side's last visit.

"On my last tour here in 1994-95, I had just taken over the captaincy of Australia and started in a new role with a pair in the Karachi Test which Pakistan won, the memory of which is fresh in my mind and I want to erase that," he said.

It was in 1959-60 when, under Richie Benaud, the Australians last won a three-match series in Pakistan with victories in two Tests. They then failed to win in 13 subsequent Tests.

The prospect of becoming cricket's most successful wicketkeeper is an added incentive for Australia's Ian Healy.

Healy, 33, needs just three more victims to overhaul his fellow Australian Rodney Marsh's world record of 355 dismissals in 96 Tests.

"It is just another little bit of pressure, another little challenge, but my main thought is about contributing to my team's success. If we beat Pakistan I am going to get my score of dismissals," said Healy.