May 11, 2005	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1426

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KARACHI, May 10: Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer said on Tuesday his team was riding high after a successful tour of India but would not take the weakened West Indies lightly when they travel to the Caribbean this week.

“It would be nice to cap the first year as coach with a win in the Caribbean, but we will not underestimate the West Indies and have to play at our best,” Englishman Woolmer said. Pakistan squared a three-match Test series 1-1 and won a six-match one-day series 4-2 on their tour of India last month. By contrast, the West Indies lost a four-match Test series at home to South Africa 2-0 and trail 2-0 in the ongoing three-match one-day series.

Woolmer admitted his team would miss fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, dropped due to injuries. “Of course, the extra pace of Shoaib and Sami would have been handy, but it’s unfortunate that both are missing through injury and we have to make do with the best available bowlers,” said Woolmer.

He denied differences with Shoaib had led to his exclusion.

“I have no differences with Shoaib,” Woolmer said. “I have never said anything derogatory against him. What I had said was that he can come back to the team on showing match fitness.”

Woolmer said he was not bothered by the fact Pakistan failed to win a series in the West Indies on their previous tours.

“Every series is a new series. What has happened in the past does not bother me. This team stands a good chance of winning if they play as they did in India,” said Woolmer, who took over as coach in June.

However, Woolmer disagreed with assessments that the West Indies are a one-man team, relying heavily on master batsman Brian Lara.

“Lara is a phenomenon, but others like (Chris) Gayle, (Ramnaresh) Sarwan, (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul and (Wavell) Hinds are also good players, so we would not take them lightly.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan believe they have to restrain Lara to achieve their goal.—Agencies