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| July 25, 2006 | Tuesday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 28, 1427 |
Old Trafford pitch to determine team selection: Woolmer
MANCHESTER, July 24: Pakistan will not be rushed into team selection for of the Old Trafford Test and will make a considered decision based on the nature of the pitch, according to their coach Bob Woolmer.
"We will take a look at the Old Trafford pitch before we decide which team to play," Bob Woolmer told Dawn on Monday.
"There has been speculation about Mushtaq Ahmed and other players and we are keeping all our options open since we don't have a master blaster in our ranks."
A return for Mushtaq could be the final high of a rollercoaster career but Mushtaq is unlikely to play unless the Old Trafford track promises to be a spinner's paradise.
England have added spinning all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple to their squad.
His selection, though, is more a reflection of a poverty of allrounders now that Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out for the series rather than a statement about the likely nature of the pitch.
Woolmer believes that the Old Trafford pitch usually favours seamers. England's most likely gamble is to back their pace bowlers Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, and Sajid Mahmood.
Andrew Strauss, who has been confirmed England captain for the rest of the series, believes the Pakistan batting line-up has vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
He may well have become sick and tired, however, of reading how England are unable to identify any weaknesses in the batting of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.
One area of vulnerability became less worrisome this week with half-centuries from both Salman Butt and Imran Farhat at Northampton, scene of Pakistan's memorable defeat to Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup.
"The openers have come under a lot of scrutiny," said Woolmer, "and if the truth be known they are young and still learning. But they are both good players and before the second innings at Northampton we asked them to show their mettle and they responded.
"They are likely to open at Old Trafford unless we go for a different formation in which case we might open with Kamran Akmal. I personally do not favour change for change's sake. Keeping the same team shows confidence in the players. We might, however, consider a change for tactical reasons, again depending on the pitch."
The same logic applies to Pakistan's new ball partnership of Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami, who Woolmer believes performed well after the first day at Lord's. Of particular delight was the ball with which Sami bowled Alastair Cook.
"Sami needs more confidence and Gul bowled some good spells at Lord's," said Woolmer.
"If Sami could reproduce more often the ball he dismissed Cook with, he would be sensational." Meanwhile Pakistan's certified sensation, Shoaib Akhtar, continues his rehabilitation. "Shoaib's appearance in the third Test would be the first prize," said Woolmer.
"The third Test will be pushing it, though, because a stress fracture requires time to heal. We are doing something called loading, which means providing blood to the area of the stress fracture so that it can heal as quickly as possible. We can't overdo it. In ten days we'll know if he can start bowling. The likelihood is that we might be able to select him for the fourth Test."
Pakistan's tour selection trio of Woolmer, Inzamam, and Younis Khan will have plenty to ponder in the run up to the Test. Pakistan arrive in Manchester in unexpectedly buoyant mood, boosted by the return of Younis, Flintoff's absence, the distant prospect of Shoaib's return, and the very real prospect of massive support from Britain's Pakistani community. England may yet live to regret their timid declaration at Lord's.
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