February 28, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 10, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 27: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said the national team have made achievements under the coaching of Bob Woolmer but added that it is up to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to extend his contract.

"The Pakistan team’s record indicates the performance of Woolmer during his three years of coaching," Inzamam told reporters on Tuesday.

The 2007 World Cup is the last assignment of Woolmer with the Pakistan team, according to the three-year contract.

When asked Woolmer could not remove the flaws of many players as he did not hold any special training camp after the end of any series, Inzamam said it was not his job but the coaches working at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) had to do it. "The Pakistan team is a platform where the cricketers have to perform and not to learn cricket," he emphasised.

When asked Javed Miandad as coach used to hold long training camps before a tour and was seen working on various probables, Inzamam said that kind of cricket had changed. “I remember Pakistan held a two-month long camp for the 1992 World Cup but now we attended a camp for only four days,” he said.

There are reports that Woolmer could launch efforts to extend his tenure with the Pakistan team along with the reports that Woolmer is interested in coaching England after the World Cup. During the last three years Pakistan featured in two ICC Champions Trophy tournaments – in England (2004) and in India (2006). In England Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals while in India the performance was most pathetic as Pakistan could not qualify for the Super-six stage. Pakistan could not even play the 2004 Asia Cup final.

Pakistan also played six Test series abroad but could win only in Sri Lanka (1-0) last year. They lost the Test rubbers in Australia (2004-05, 0-3), England (2006, 0-3) and South Africa (2006-07, 1-2) while drawing against the West Indies (2005, 1-1) and India (2005, 1-1) at their backyards.

At home, during this period, Pakistan played well, winning the Test series against India (2006, 1-0), England (2005, 2-0) and the West Indies (2006, 2-0) while drawing one against Sri Lanka (2004, 1-1).