ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Former Test star Sarfraz Nawaz on Wednesday claimed he could turn the Pakistan cricket team into a winning combination within a few months.

"If the team is handed over to me, I can totally reverse their fortunes from the current run of defeats by putting them on the path to victory", the former swing bowler Sarfraz Nawaz said.

He was commenting on Pakistan's defeat by Australia in the Test series Down Under. "I can produce the results I promise within a few months", Sarfraz said, adding that improving the physical fitness of the players would be his foremost priority.

He said he was bowling coach before the 1999 World Cup in England and "there was no problem of physical fitness because I took care of this aspect". He said he had ability to get rid of the present infighting in the squad and would also focus on such matters as proper guidance of the captain.

"Right now there is no one to guide the captain", he said. "When I was bowling coach, I spoke to the board, selection committee on all such important matters". Sarfraz said when the present PCB chairman took charge, he had advised him Inzamamul Haq could not be a good captain.

"I humbly said to him not to repeat the folly of 2003 World Cup in South Africa when there were apprehensions till last minute as to who will be the skipper". He said PCB lacked vision in announcing current captain as the skipper for three series.

Sarfraz said previous chairman had also resigned after Pakistan had lost the series to Australia at neutral venue of Sharjah but stayed on after being asked so by the Patron-in-Chief. "The remedy for the present ills lies in removal and not resignation," he said.

"If we are to take Greg Chappel as batting coach, Darryl Foster as bowling coach and already have a South African as physiotherapist, then what is the need of (Bob) Woolmer" who shirked responsibility and never stayed with the team on permanent basis and had left for South Africa before the Platinum Jubilee match against India and only joined the team in Calcutta. "He is a burden at salary of 80,000 pounds (Rs. 10 million) plus other benefits," he said. -APP