Woolmers Views upto 21st October 2005

On Shoaib Akhtar
* I wonder where you heard that rubbish, I sms'd Shaun Pollock to ask him how Shoaib was doing and Shaun was very helpful. I do think that the decision was made to leave out Shoaib by Gavaskar, Wright and Smith. I have been busy with the Pakistan team. People who start these rumours should look in the mirror remember it is ramadan and the holy month no lies!! (when asked if he had phoned Smith and told him to leave Akhtar out of the test match in case Akhtar puts in a performance that makes him undroppable)
* Different type of management! (when asked why he didnt send send Akhtar a packet of cigarettes as a present with the message 'enjoy these coz you aint playing for Pakistan again' )
* On Shoaib I guess that rasheed latif and Aamir Sohail had more success by giving him more leeway in the short term. Incidentally this was earlier in his career. I went out of my way to get Shoaib to come back into the team after the Indian series where he was at loggerheads with a few! he returned and I encouraged and tried to help him. Unfortunately things went slightly pearshaped as he suffered injury after injury and would not listen to our physiotherapist and our trainers (both highly qualified) and we were all desperate for him to succeed. In fact we still are! It would be extremely fair to say that a lot of his current problems are self inflicted and perhaps we need to re-look at how we can encourage him to perform to his best. In fact we are open to all ways. (when told his man management skills had failed with Akhtar)
* Aeroplane fuel is expensive! (when told that Akhtar needed to keep his jet fighter plane tank full of fuel)
* Obviously we would like to have him available, but even today he did not show up for the first day of the camp! With no explanation! (after being told that he should whip Akhtar if he has to but please Bob do anything in your power to get him fit)

On Shahid Yousaf
* I am not biased to anyone, all I said was that I likd teh way Shahid Yousouf batted (Bob is told that he is biased in favour of Shahid Yousaf)

On Mohammad Shafiq
* No he isn't very fast and no you will not be seeing him the team.
* I asked him to come because of his height, his ability is very average something for coaches to work on. No he does not play first class cricket but he will be useful for practice (when asked if Shafiq was picked by Bob because he was a 'special' talent)
* he is a young giant 6ft 6ins and he has a poor action which needs much work however he does bowl from a great height and we can use him to practice bowling against tall bowlers. he has little or no chance of playing International cricket for some time unless we have time to work on his action.

On Shahid Afridi
* No he is practicing with us (when asked if Afridi was playing domestic matches right now)
* No (when asked if Bob had ever been to Afridi's house)


On Yasir Arafat
* Yes I have seen Yasir bowling and he is nippy

On Abdul Razzaq
* Razzy bowled Ok but has a small elbow problem in his right hand (when someone praised Razzaq's bowling in the match vs Karachi)

On Asim Kamal
* Not really when I put Asim Kamal at three against Sri lanka in Faisalabad everyone told me he is a middle order batsman and having see him play I agree with them (when asked if Asim Kamal should be opening)

On Mansoor Amjad
* mansoor is still young and in my opinion not quite ready (when asked why Afridi was still in the test team when we have Mansoor)

General stuff about coaching Pakistan
* I have done it before when I coached South Africa, so no problem. Don't bitr the hand that feeds you! (when asked if he has split loyalties about trying to beat his home country England with Pakistan)
* I think we will pick 15 players for the final squad (when asked how big the test squad would be)
* It is highly unlikely that we will be playing anyone from teh Pepsi pace programme. In teh first day of teh camp the two bowlers went down injured. They rae all promising but their fitness levls leave much to be desired (when asked if any of the winners of the Pepsi pace competition would be playing against England)
* During or immediately after the Pakistan v Rest match (when asked when the squad for the first test would be announced)

reading between the lines, I get the impression that the Pak lineup is far from settled and in my estimation there are up to 5 places in the test team still up for grabs.

Saj i dont think so. I think so Inzi and Bob have almost made up their minds who to play. Likely 11 will be:

1. Bazid
2. Malik
3. YK
4. Inzi
5. Yusuf
6. Afridi
7. Abdul
8. Sami
9. Shoaib / Shabbir
10. Umer
11. Kaneria

or they might convince Afridi to open with Bazid / Malik and drop either of them and then Asim will be at number 6th.

I am looking forward to watching Shahid Yousuf bat at some point. Certainly have heard good things...may be...hopefully...one for the future.

No I dont think so either. I think as many as 9 places are settled and only two are up for grabs.

???
Malik
YK
Inzi
Moyo
Afridi
Razzaq
Akmal
Sami
???
Kaneria

For the opening slot, to me Butt is the front-runner simply bcoz he has some experience of opening at the international level. Bazid would be too much of a wildcard.

For the fast bowling slot, its a close run thing between Gul and Rana with Akhtar an outside chance. I think Shabbir would play some domestic cricket to get comfortable with his new action before being called back to the Pakistan team possibly for the ODIs or the series against India.

i wud think that it will be a fairly settled team as per their last test
its nto great to tinker and mess about in the 1st test of a series...for me personally

Why do I get the feeling that Farhat and Malik are being groomed to open?

Noddy, do you get that feeling as well - or is Butt going to be retained, at least for the first test?

Thats the side which played in last test v W.I

Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Asim Kamal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria.

from that side i blv farhat will replace hameed. Moyo will replace asim.

rana will be dropped for sami.

I got feeling akthar may not play 1st test. if he does it will be for shabbir. even thou id prefer it to be razzaq.

If that is the lineup which will play then I am willing to bet that Pakistan will be thrashed within 4 days.

wow 4 days! u expecting 2 days of rain!

My theory of 5 places still up for grabs is based on the following :-

?
?
YK
Inzi
MoYo
?
Akmal
?
Gul
?
Kaneria

They do have rain forecast in next couple of weeks so you might be right

Id agree with that side it would be 4 days. most tests are 90 overs minimum.

However, in this series its 83 overs so its more likely to just get into day 4.

My worry is pakistan have rarely been bowled out for less than 200 in a home test v england. In this series it could change!

Would Butt not come in for Hameed, Youhana for Kamal, and another seamer instead of Razzaq?

farhat by all accounts has impressed recently and butt doesnt seem to have BW/Inzis backing. i expect moyo to come back in for Kamal. afridi to bat six.

razzaq is likely to play aswell.

predicted 1st test team (not mine)

Shoaib Malik, imran farhat, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, muhammed yousaf, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq or Shoaib akthar, Kamran Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan or shabbir ahmed, muahmmed sami, Danish Kaneria.