BTW, can we please keep politics out ?
and it was worth 0.02 not 0.2 
Woolmer's addition is great. he's one of the better coaches modern era has seen. he's also technology savvy and is a gd manager of talent, like we saw during his coaching stint with the south african national side. also he will keep a low profile which will only benefit a team and board filled with strong heads.
I am saddened though that maindad had to go again in a controversial manner. the pcb never seems to get it right, and so doesnt miandad. if he felt that he might be sacked then he shd have resigned right after the indo-pak series rather then waiting for the board to do somethin. that would have avoided all the mess when no one knows still whether he was sacked or he resigned or was it mutual understanding.
Javed is a great coach who is as devoted the pakistan and cricket as much as anyone could possibly be, but he is political as well as emotional. also he is a headstrong individual, and he has that mentality of a super-celebrity, which he is. But coaches are most successful when they keep a low profile and dun get too involved with the media. These were his failings.
Also, wat we saw in his third stint as coach was that he was very conservative in terms of his strategies and lineup (and lineup changes). in odi's, him (and inzamam) would seldom make changes and play 3 allrounders consistently. also they were averse to drafting in yound talent into the side - players who performed remarkably well and players who would be in the squad. the team management was at fault there, of which miandad presumably was incharge of.
Newayz, we're starting a new era. and i wish bob woolmer the absolute best of luck. lets hope that our new foreign coach can do with pakistan, wat john wright has done with india!
Excerpts from his article in 2000, before england's infamous tour of pakistan:
*While coaching the South Africa side, I visited Pakistan on three occasions, in 1994 on a one-day triangular tour, in 1996 for the World Cup, and then finally in 1998 on a three-Test tour....
Today, Pakistan is, in my opinion, a wonderful place to tour. It has quite categorically some of the best pitches for batting in the world. They come on to the bat, there is virtually no sideways seam movement, and practising is only restricted by the standard of netting which surrounds the pitch....
Cricket in Pakistan is of high quality and England will have to get into first gear very quickly. We have talked briefly about the pitches and on the whole they are batsman friendly, but spinners and fast bowlers have been able to take wickets there....
England have found a formula, they have embraced technology and the fitness levels necessary to compete at this level. If the remainder of the Pakistan team prove to be as complacent as Wasim seems, there is a chance that England could come away victorious....
My final advice to the team would be: Embrace Pakistan from the word go. It is a proud cricketing country and by understanding their culture and becoming Pakistani for six weeks, England's players will be far more successful.
*
Source: www.bobwoolmer.com
While refusing to disclose Woolmerâs salary, Khan said he would get less than Miandad, who was reportedly getting 1.1 million rupees (around $20,000) a month. 
Thats a ridiculous amount!!!
However its been reported by rediff.com that Woolmer wil be recieving Rs, 900,000 / month + incentives! Thats ridiculous, styll!
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shacks! 
Objection over ruled! , you can not keep politics out ,otherwise you donât need Woolmer, Arvind, Aejaz to take your pulse, 
Here we go again , youâr advising me how to spend my money,
I heard you wre taking a loooong vacation some where, Uncle !,
that is âinternational politicsâ (Arvind Aejaz etc), I was talking about ur referral to MQM⌠donât need the divide here.
Vacation? yeah, as soon as I retire, I shall go on looong vacation but by then you will be close to retirement as well
Aarey Bhai Hamen Aap ki koi Daal Waal Nahin chaiyan, Inshallah aaj Tou BBQ Ka Program Hain. Aur Inshallah wahan na tou Rain hoga nahin Dance.
*(http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/172573_PAK_21JUN2004.html)
I had no idea Woolmer would take charge - Inzamam
Wisden Cricinfo staff
June 21, 2004
Inzamam-ul-Haq has revealed that the Pakistan board didnât take him into confidence in the matter of appointing a new coach. Speaking to The News, Inzamam stated he had no idea that Javed Miandad would be replaced by Bob Woolmer.
âInitially, I heard something about the board trying for a foreign coach. But then later on I got the impression things were settled between the board and Miandad and he would continue,â Inzamam told the daily. âI had no idea Woolmer was in line to take charge of the team.â
Speaking about Miandadâs tenure as coach, Inzamam said: âJaved was sincere as a coach. I didnât have any communication problems with him. We collectively tried to do what was best for the team. But it is a board decision and I have to go with it. Their decision obviously is based on future planning.â
Looking forward to the training camp which begins on July 2, Inzamam stated that it would give him an opportunity to familiarise himself with Woolmerâs training techniques. âI will get to know what his methods are to bring about improvements in the team. But I have not had any direct interaction with the man so far in my career.â
He also pointed out the difference between Woolmer and Richard Pybus, the South African who had unsuccessful stints as coach of Pakistan. âThe way I look at it, Pybus was a sincere individual but he was trying to establish himself as a coach of international standing. Woolmer does not need to establish his credentials. He is a proven performer and has produced results with Warwickshire and South Africa. He has achieved results and that is his biggest strength when he works with our team.â
Looking ahead to the challenges for the team, Inzamam pointed out that the most important task would be to inject more discipline and professionalism among the players. âHopefully Woolmer would be able to introduce both these things among our players to make them consistent performers.â
Woolmerâs first assignment with the team will be the six-nation Asia Cup, which starts in Sri Lanka on July 16.*
^ Inzi ko inform bhi ker dete tu usay itnay din mai bhool hee jana thaa.
^
Now that would be an interesting problem since I doubt Woolmer speaks much Urdu, or that Inzi speaks much English. Sign language all the way! :k:
No, I am j/k. I am sure Inzi speaks English very well.
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souch loo,phir na kehna bataya nahi,wah kiya zamana agaya hai.
aur yeh hain,inko to bas sayasat kerni hai,lekin center ki,
stock trading mai hotay to retirement ki batain na kertay,so far behind,cum on old man catchup,oh yeh one more thing,!! LOL
Pakistan hires South African cricket trainer](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan has hired a South African cricket trainer to overcome fitness problems and help players avoid injuries, an official said.
âMurray Stevenson is an exercising and training guru and the new coach (Bob) Woolmer regards him as the best in the business,â Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Ramiz Raja told AFP Monday.
Pakistan last week replaced Javed Miandad with Briton Woolmer, who coached South Africa between 1994 to 1999, and has also hired former Australian Greg Chappell and Barry Richards as batting consultants.
Raja said the hiring of Stevenson would help control injuries to team players at international level.
Like Woolmer, the 28-year-old Stevenson will also be part of Pakistan team management until the 2007 World Cup.
Pakistan had suffered excessive injury problems to key players since their tour of New Zealand in 2001 and their last home series earlier this year against India.
Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Umer Gul and wicketkeeper Moin Khan missed crucial games because of injuries.
âStevenson will rehabilitate the injured player through a fitness regime process and we need such an expert for a long time,â said Raja.
Raja said Pakistan has also advertised a position of physiotherapist to treat injuries.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
Overall good decision. My only concern is that 1 or 2 bad series and people will be on woolmers throat and we will see some new guy taking over.
They need to stick with him till 2007 come what
[/QUOTE]
screw you man, you stole the words right out of my mouth. Just watch, 1 bad series and the people who has their face stuck up woolmer's ass will be longing to get him sacked.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
Overall good decision. My only concern is that 1 or 2 bad series and people will be on woolmers throat and we will see some new guy taking over.
They need to stick with him till 2007 come what
[/QUOTE]
Will Pakistan allow Woolmer to succeed?](http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/000614_COL-WORLD_15JUN2004.html)
I have a theory about Pakistan cricket. If the players and officials spent less time on their mobile phones, Pakistan would be world-beaters. I guarantee it. Penetrate close enough to the inner sanctum and you quickly realise that everyone is busy calling everyone else on their âcellâ phones. Instead of training, they are on their cell phones. Instead of sleeping, they are on their cell phones.
Media men are calling players, players are calling the media. Sycophants are calling players, and players are calling sycophants. The players call each other to talk about the media and the sycophants, and the sycophants call each other to outdo each other in sycophancy. Sometimes the players call their wives. Often the wives call the players but usually they get an engaged tone or voicemail, which is why some players have two maybe three cell phones.
Sometimes the wives get bored of trying to call the players and call the media instead. The same is true for coach, officials, and selectors. The media, meanwhile, has a party publishing the garbage it hears from players, wives, and sycophants, not forgetting the rubbish it picks up from the coach, officials, and selectors. The public is mostly bemused.
Enter Bob Woolmer. Why a man of uncommon good sense, consummate tact, and unquestionable ability wants to bring order to the mayhem of Pakistan cricket is mind-boggling, but he deserves an immediate round of applause for bravery. With an outstanding record of success with South Africa, Warwickshire, and the ICC, Woolmer is the best-qualified appointment made in Pakistan cricket for over a decade. The constant screams for a coach au fait with technology have delivered the most innovative and technologically savvy coach possible.
Yes, he will be paid astronomically but the PCB could immediately save a few thousand by cancelling the silly one-month agreements it has signed with Greg Chappell and Barry Richards. In any case, Woolmer has a track record of success and international market-rates must apply.
Whether he succeeds or fails, it will have been money well-spent because Woolmerâs appointment is a godsend, in the sense that it is a natural experiment. If he can turn Pakistan into a team consistently in the top two of world cricket, say by the time of the next World Cup, he will have succeeded and confirmed Rameez Rajaâs view that his administration has created the right climate for success. Anything less will be failure and it will confirm the majority view that Pakistan cricket is so shambolic that even an individual as skilled as Woolmer cannot operate effectively in its flawed environment.
For that reason Woolmerâs appointment is a high-risk strategy for Raja and his board. Letâs be clear at the outset that it is up to the board to allow Woolmer a free hand in devising and executing his strategy. That is what they have paid for: a man who knows his business and knows his method of producing successful teams is one that works. Any less would be a grand deceit.
But my worry is that Pakistan cricket will not pass the test. I suspect Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Bari, Rameez, and even Shahrayar Khan are too busy looking over their shoulders to offer Woolmer the security and stability that he needs. It is crucial for Pakistan cricket that this impression proves to be incorrect.
Woolmerâs challenges are many. First, he has to instil some pride in Pakistanâs players, who performed so spiritlessly against India. Second, he has to rouse Inzamam from his inactivity as captain. As one senior player recently told me, not by cell phone I hasten to add: âThe only captaincy role that Inzamam can perform is the toss.â Third, he must quickly bring Shoaib Akhtar back into the fold. Shoaib has been abysmally managed and the responsibility rests squarely with Inzamam, Rameez, and Shahrayar. Woolmerâs appointment is a perfect opportunity to start afresh.
Fourth, he has to force captain, officials, and selectors into devising a clear strategy around selection that encompasses representative cricket at all levels. Most urgent is succession planning for the captaincy. Fifth, he needs some quick wins, otherwise the pressure to oust this âforeignâ coach will become insufferable, and promises of a job until 2007 are not to be trusted. Sixth, he must retain his professionalism in a system that corrupts professionals. And seventh, he must make excessive cell phone usage a punishable offence.
Javed Miandad was an outstanding cricketer but an average coach. His techniques were outdated, yes, but his biggest failing was the same one that made him a great cricketer: an inability to understand his own limitations. Bob Woolmer is the exact opposite: an average cricketer but an outstanding coach, willing to use other people and technology to his advantage. The question is not whether or not Woolmer knows how to succeed, but it is whether or not Pakistan cricket will allow him to.
InterestingâŚ
Woolmer may want Azhar in Asia Cup camp](Daily Jang: Urdu News - Latest Breaking News update Pakistan - jang.com.pk)
Pakistanâs new coach, Bob Woolmer has indicated that he might want forgotten all rounder Azhar Mahmood to join the training camp being set up for the Asia Cup in Lahore from June 28.
Woolmer is also said to have spoken to Azhar about his future plans in London where the all rounder plays for Surrey along with another Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq.
Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Woolmer had indicated to the Board that he believed Azhar still had plenty of cricket left in him and could prove useful for Pakistan in one-day matches.
Incidentally Woolmer was South Africaâs cricket coach when Azhar scored three Test hundreds against the Springboks in 1997 and 1998 series (in Pakistan and South Africa) and also bowled well. âWoolmer is meeting with Board officials in London next week and they are chances he might ask them to ask the selectors to consider Azhar for the Asia Cup camp,â one source disclosed.
Azhar has largely been overlooked by the selectors in recent times and played sparingly for Pakistan. His last appearance came in New Zealand in the one-day series earlier this year.
Woolmer has also spoken to fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who has in England playing for Durham and the source said he had conveyed to Woolmer he would be joining the national camp in Lahore.
Woolmer is due to join the Pakistan from July 2. Sources said that during his meeting with PCB officials, the former England Test player and now coach was also expected to discuss the plans he had in mind for the team and how much independence he would get in decision making in the team affairs and selection matters.
There is a general fear that if the Board does not support Woolmer in the face of any undisciplined behaviour from some players the plan to bring him in as coach in place of Javed Miandad may fail badly and leave Pakistan cricket in a mess. âWhat the Board has to ensure is an elimination of this particular culture in the team that a senior or star player can get away with skipping practice and training sessions by making any excuse and also be excused after directly not responding to orders from the captain or coach,â one observer said.
He pointed out that incidents like when Yousuf Youhana refused to train during a tournament in Nairobi in 2002 which led to a fight with former coach Mudassar Nazar or numerous incidents like when Shoaib Akhtar had been given special treatment on the interference of the Board officials, would not be tolerated by Woolmer but he would require the backing of the Board.
Meanwhile, it has come into knowledge that the Pakistani players playing county cricket in England, will appear in the national camp on Tuesday.
A man with a plan....how refreshing.
give woolmer full control. And I do mean FULL control. Everything must go through him and if someone does not adhere to woolmerâs tactics, then woolmer should have the complete power to kick him out of the team. And no one should raise a voice against him.
I really hope he calls Azhar Mehmood back. I wonder why PCB forgot about him.