06 January 2005	Thursday	24 Ziqa'ad 1425

SYDNEY, Jan 5: Pakistan's pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar was a "shadow of himself" in the final Test loss to Australia, team coach Bob Woolmer said on Wednesday.

The "Rawalpindi Express" had a negligible impact as he bowled just 15 overs for 0-69 in Australia's first innings of 133.3 overs and did not bowl in Australia's second innings as the victory target of 62 was easily overhauled.

Woolmer said Shoaib had been troubled by a right hamstring injury which restricted him during the third Test. "He's complaining of a hamstring injury at the moment. He's having a scan tomorrow and we'll see how fit he is after that," Woolmer told a post-match press conference.

"Certainly in this Test match, he was a shadow of himself. I thought he bowled well in the first two Tests." Shoaib, on whom so much depends in the Pakistan bowling attack, took five wickets in the first innings of both the Perth and Melbourne Tests to finish the three-match series with 11 wickets.

"I've said on record many times, that if you're going to run that distance and try and bowl quick in this country, you've got to be triathlete fit," Woolmer said of 29-year-old Shoaib.

"Either he shortens his run up or he gets triathlete fit if he's going to produce the sort of performances he did four or five years ago. "I have to say he was tired. I suppose, in a way, everyone was disappointed with his commitment," he said.

"From a team point of view, we understand that he's given everything in the first two Test matches and it didn't go for him in this Test." Woolmer was seen on television having animated words with Shoaib in the team pavilion during the tea interval, but would not elaborate on what was said between the pair, just saying: "That's between me and him, sorry."

Woolmer had better things to say about leg-spinner Danish kaneria, who finished the series as Pakistan's leading wicket-taker with 15. "Danish Kaneria is without doubt a very exciting Test leg-spinner," he said. -AFP