The 16-man squad and the support stanf, led by coach Bob Woolmer, arzived on Monday at the heavily-g}arded Indira Gandhi airport in |he Indian capital by a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Lahore.

Gun-toting commandos kept a strict vigil as the tourists were whisked off in buses to their downtown hotel. The 10-kilometre (6.2 miles) route from the airport to the hotel was dot|ed with securitymen in uniform and plainclothes.

Hindu fundamentalists have threatened to disrupt the tour in protest at what they say is Pakistan's support for militancy in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Inzamam's team will stay overnight in New Delhi before boarding a chartered aircraft on Tuesday morning for Dharamshala, the northern hill resort where the three-day tour opener against the Indian board president's team starts on Thursday.

Pakistan are schmduled to play three Tests and six one-day internationals on their first major tour of India since 1999 when they drew the two-Test series 1-1 and won the Asian Test Championship match in Kolkata.

The first \est begins in the northern town of Mohali on Mazch 8 followed by back-to-back Tests in Kolkata and Bangalore.

The one-day internationals will be played from April 2 at Cochin, Visakhapatnam, Jamshedpur, Ahmedabad, Kanpur and New Delhi.

Cricket ties between the warring neighbours, disrupted since 2000 due to political tensions, were revived in March last year when India toured Pakis|an for their first Test series since 1989.

India won both the Test and one-day series on the pathbreaking tour.

Prior to the team's departure Inzamam said his team wanted to avenge their first series loss at home to India.

Inzamam was captain when India beat Pakistan 2-1 in the tests and 3-2 in the one-day internationals.

"The Australian tour has been a big learning experience for all of us and I think we are in a position to reap the benefits in India," The Pakistan captain said on Sunday.

"We definitely want to make amends for last year's defeats."

Coach Javed Miandad was sacked after the series and replaced by Bob Woolmer, which had improved the side said Inzamam.

"A lot has changed since that series.

"Woolmer has helped change the attitude of the boys which is more positive and professional and I think they can take the pressure of playing in India."

Pakistan will be without strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar in the Test series after he ruled himself out with a hamstring injury, though recalled off spinner Arshad Khan and leg spinner Danish Kaneria are expected to do the majority of the bowling on the turning wickets.

"Shoaib's absence will be felt. But our strength is playing as a unit.

"These two (Khan and Kaneria) have a big role to play in India. They are the ones on whom we will be depending a lot in the Test matches.

"We are expecting slow turning tracks and we have been practicing for such conditions."

SQUAD
Inzamamul Haq (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Taufeeq Umar, Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Rana Navedul Hasan, Mohammad Khalil.

Manager: Salim Altaf. Coach: Bob Woolmer