LAHORE, July 3: Bob Woolmer, the new Pakistan coach, claimed on Saturday that under his coaching the team will emerge as a winning combination within six months.

The former England batsman, who also coached South Africa between 1994 and 1999, told reporters that the boys only lacked in fielding and fitness areas and with the improvement in those departments the team would emerge as a well knit-unit.

When informed that the Pakistan did not excel in batting andbowling against India then how was he declaring fielding and fitness as the only weak areas, Woolmer pointed out he considered Pakistan possessed good batsmen and bowlers and they only need confidence.

He said that the Pakistan team was a "sleeping giant" as it had all potential to become a successful side of the world.

To a question, Woolmer, who replaced Javed Miandad as the Pakistan coach, said that the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, chief executive Ramiz Raja and other Pakistanis involved in cricket affairs convinced him to take up this assignment.

He said that in the past he had refused the similar offersof Sri Lankaand the West Indies but accepted Pakistan's offerafter consulting all quarters.

"Coaching the Pakistan team is a nice challenge for me and I am very much excited and looking forward hopefully," he said. Woolmer, pointed out that he was ready to meet all the recognised Pakistan past and current cricketers, including Miandad, to get feedback from them.

Woolmer believed that Miandad did a good job during his assignment with the team but admitted that Miandad was a great batsman but he would like to defend himself as coach.

About the controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, the coachsaid that the Rawalpindi Express wanted to play for Pakistan and he should be here.

He remarked he was aware of the fact that Shoaib had differences with the PCB on and off.

Shoaib, who is the only probable missing in the ongoing camp, is now expected to report from Monday after arriving on Sunday. He was supposed to come on Saturday.

The camp is in progress at the Qadhafi Stadium to prepare the team for Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from July 16.

Woolmer,whoquit his post as ICC high performancemanager prior to coming here, pledged that he would involve skipper Inzamamul Haq, the selectors in matters relating to the team selection.

Responding to a query, Woolmer said he did not agree with the point of view of former coaches of the Pakistan team - Richard Pybus and Miandad - that the Pakistani players don't want to learn.

"I don't know how they made these comments, I believe I can teach them," he said.

He claimed that Australia was still thetopteam while the rest like India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand had no big differences.

Woolmer added that he met the players and delivereda lecture and he felt there was no big difference in coaching the South African players and the Pakistanis.