JACK Simmons today told Lancashire members that next Friday is D-Day in the club's attempt to keep John Crawley at Old Trafford.

Lancashire learned late last night -- the eve of the annual general meeting -- that the England and Wales Cricket Board's contracts appeal panel will consider the Crawley case at Lord's on February 15.

It will be a three man panel appointed by the chairman of the ECB's registration committee, David Kemp, and including a representative from the Professional Cricketers Association.

Crawley, who was sacked as captain at the end of last season, resigned from the remaining three years of his four year contract with Lancashire on January 24, claiming that the contract had been breached. But Lancashire have refused to accept his resignation, and appealed to the ECB.

Pakistan strengthened their grip on the second Test as the West Indies' top order struggled to cope with the threat of spin in Sharjah.

The tourists were reduced to 164 for four at stumps on the second day in reply to Pakistan's first-innings total of 472.

Shoaib Akhtar claimed an early breakthrough but Daren Ganga and Wavell Hinds threatened to bat the West Indies back into the match until Pakistan, who lead the two-match series 1-0, introduced spin to the attack.