Pakistan has attained consistency

Published January 15, 2006

ISLAMABAD, Jan 14: Coach Bob Woolmer believes the Pakistan cricket team has attained a measure of consistency while Inzamamul Haq’s captaincy had spurred the team to clinch victory over England.

He said as a coach he had created an environment in which the team enjoys playing and practising their cricket as much as possible.

“That’s probably the main thing (of his coaching) but obviously a lot of work has also been put in on an individual basis. Working with certain players on a one-to-one basis; it’s a matter of adding up all the little bits really,” he said in an interview with Cricinfo.

To a question about the ongoing series against India, he said “I think it will be a cracking series because India are playing good cricket and we’ve started doing that as well. It’ll be a tough series, a lot will depend on the weather and the pitches but it will be a typical India-Pakistan series.”

About Shoaib Akhtar, he said he’s the quickest bowler in the world and therefore he is an asset in that respect. “He certainly will and did give us an edge (over England).”

About the Pakistan team for the next year’s World Cup, he said, “we have played some good cricket, we’ve fought back from different situations and there is more belief in the side than at any time.

“We have a pretty powerful side - if they all fire, it’s very difficult to beat them. The two most important things for the World Cup will be to develop a strong bench and also to give opportunities to players during the year so that we aren’t shattered by the time the World Cup comes.

“We have to find ways — sometimes through injuries they will be natural ways — in which to prepare our other bowlers especially. We have Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Mohammad Khalil, Shahid Nazir and Najaf Shah waiting in the wings.

“That will be a key thing through next year — to give these guys an idea of international cricket,” Woolmer added.—APP

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