KARACHI: Former Pakistan number one Rashid Malik said on Saturday that he will try to do his best to ensure that the national tennis team give a better result in its crucial Davis Cup match against South Korea in September this year.

Rashid, who is set to return as the coach and non-playing captain of the Pakistan Davis Cup team, said that South Korea was a very strong team but added that with proper preparations Pakistan can beat them in the best-of-five match to be played on grass in Lahore.

The former Davis Cup player from Lahore, according to the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Senator Dilawar Abbas, is to be brought back as the coach of the national Davis Cup team.

Rashid, who is presently conducting a summer coaching camp in Karachi, was the coach and non-playing captain of the Davis Cup squad last year and under him Pakistan won the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group-II tournament in 2002.

But the PTF replaced him by another former national champion Muhammad Khalid for this year's event. However, the Pakistanis flopped in the initial two matches of the Davis Cup Group-I tournament, getting a whitewash from New Zealand and later from Japan in a humiliating manner.

The defeats has left Pakistan at the brink of being relegated to the Group-II event next year. They will have to beat South Korea to avoid the axe and retain a place in the 2004 Group-I tournament.

Rashid pointed out that even the tie against South Korea will be a tough match as the Koreans are considered to be one of the best tennis-playing nations in Asia.

However, he added that Pakistan will have the home advantage which together with solid preparations can help the hosts to win the crucial play-off tie. Rashid said that his boys have a good track record at home where they normally play on their favourite surface-grass. But he said that just playing on grass will not guarantee a positive result from the Pakistan team. He said that the PTF will have to make it sure that all-out preparations are made ahead of the match.

Rashid said that the Davis Cup training camp that will be held during August-September in Lahore will certainly help his boys to be in shape for the tough assignment.

The PTF has planned to hold a six-week-long training camp to prepare their team for the tie against South Korea. The federation has also planned to hold separate trials for junior players next month.

Two best players will be selected from the junior trials to join the top eight senior players of the country for the Davis Cup camp. The final trials for the selection of the Davis Cup team will be held in the first week of September.