LAHORE, Aug 21: Addressing a press conference after conducting the first session in the training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium, Geoff Lawson, who joined Pakistan as coach on Tuesday, seemed optimistic about the future of the team.

Lawson, a former Australian Test fast bowler, said he was looking towards gradually improving all departments of the game.

While agreeing to the fact that coaching a young team was a great challenge indeed, he said he had noticed the boys had great talent.

“They [the boys] have shown a keen interest in the training and are eager to learn, which gives me great hope,” said Lawson, adding, “I will try to make the outfit an aggressive one as it is necessary to be aggressive to be the world’s best team.”

Lawson has brought with him a rugby coach David Dwyer, an Australian also, who according to him “would prove helpful in making the players more aggressive”.

A veteran of 46 Tests, Lawson said he had not set any specific department of the game as the first target for improvement.

“To turn a team into the world’s best, you have to make it perfect in batting, bowling and fielding, so we have to work in all directions,” he said. “The main achievement for me is to bring consistency to the players’ form and performance.

“Obviously, I am here with some sort of planning to improve the fitness level of the players, but I can’t elaborate at length the entire programme at this time.” he stated.

Lawson was a little concerned about some Pakistan cricketers joining the Indian Cricket League (ICL), however he said: “Playing for any one is the decision of the players and like with the PCB, this is a problem with the other boards, too, but I believe the participation of some cricketers would not affect the performance of the remaining squad. I also hope Mohammad Yousuf would change his mind and join the team after all. He is a great batsman and an inspiring force for the youngsters,” he added.

Besides Yousuf, the other three who had joined the ICL are Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat.

Lawson said that although this was his first assignment as coach with a Test-playing country, he had high hopes. When asked if a 20-day association with the team at the training camp was enough for him to prepare them for the forthcoming mega event in South Africa, he said he would only be able to answer that at the end of the training camp, on Aug 26.

However, he was excited about his association with the players on the first day of the training and hoped that the boys would give him their full support during his two-year stint.

“I am here after leaving my country and home to take up a tough assignment and I am glad to see that the players have a desire to learn, which is enough for my confidence,” he said.

Lawson said at the moment he would go with the supporting staff and Haroon Rasheed would do the job as a batting coach. He also dispelled the notion that thanks to his aggressive nature, fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar could destroy his plans.

“As a fast bowler myself, I feel I can deal with such kind of a temperament which is normal in fast bowlers,” he said.

“Of course my first target is the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa and my goal is to show progress after every event but no one can predict the results in the World Cup,” he said adding that Twenty20 cricket was the most thrilling version of the game in which the situation can change at any time. But, he said that he would apply certain tactics and a changed approach to earn maximum positive results.

To a question regarding security concerns, Lawson said that he felt quite comfortable with the players. He said he had received much moral support and encouragement from a letter written to him by Gill Woolmer, widow of the Pakistan team’s late coach Bob Woolmer.

“She wrote positively about Pakistan, its people and their fervour for cricket and all that was very inspiring,” he said.

Lawson expressed faith in the young captain Shoaib Malik and hoped on being able to build a strong team under his captaincy.

He had earlier met all 14 players in the training camp at the NCA to exchange views on various aspects relating to his short and long term planning.

Except for Younis Khan, all other members of the training camp attended the camp in the afternoon. Younis is likely to join the camp on Thursday after returning from England.

There will be only one session in the morning till Aug 26 before the camp concludes after which the Pakistan team will tour to Kenya to play in a warm-up tournament before heading to South Africa for Twenty20 World Championship starting there from Sept 11.