Look at the difference here to Javed’s attitude that the bowlers didn’t need coaching. Straight away Woolmer has attacked the slow over-rate problem and looked to DEAL with the problem in a professional manner.
Woolmer shortens Pak Bowler run ups
By Waheed Khan
KARACHI: The first major change that coach Bob Woolmer has made in the Pakistan cricket team ranks is curtailment of the fast bowlers’ run-up, including that of speedster Shoaib Akhtar for the One-day Internationals.
According to the details, Woolmer, who spent a week with the Pakistan players in the Asia Cup training camp in Lahore, concentrated on shortening the run-ups of Shoaib, Muhammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul for the one-day version of the sport.
“Shoaib in particular has become very comfortable with his shortened run-up which he will use in the Asia Cup. Woolmer’s concept is that in a version of the game that is tailor made for the batsmen, this is the best way for the bowlers to conserve their energy, focus and at same time also ensure a healthy over-rate in one-day matches,” manager Haroon Rasheed told ‘The News’.
The Pakistan team in the recent months has faced lot of problems due to the fast bowlers’ frequent overstepping at the crease along with its slow over-rate in the one-day matches, resulting in some fines and penalties by the match-referees.
“Woolmer believes that nowadays one-day cricket is scripted for the batsmen and for big totals so it is better for bowlers to concentrate on line and length and conserve energy by using shorter run-ups without losing too much of their sting,” he explained.
He added Woolmer had paid lot of importance to this facet of the game because his belief was that Pakistani bowlers lost their focus and came under pressure when pitted in a race against time to complete overs on time in one-dayers.
Haroon, who is continuing as manager since Woolmer had specifically shown interest in working with him in the team, said that the Pakistan players had a good workout in the training camp. “It allowed them to get acquainted with Woolmer who also had the chance to prepare a profile of each player and also interact with them individually and as a team,” Haroon stated.
“From the evidence of what I have seen in the camp and by what Woolmer and the fitness trainer Murray Stevenson believe, this Pakistan team will undergo a major change in attitude and performance within six months time,” he added.
According to him, Woolmer had soon after joining the camp, prepared a questionnaire for each player in which he had asked some pertinent questions. “After getting back these questionnaires he met with each player individually and discussed lot of things openly with them. After which team meetings were also organised to put things into place,” he said.
Making it clear that he was in no way trying to demean the standing or hard work put in by former coach Javed Miandad, Haroon said he had definitely seen a change in the methods employed by Woolmer. “Definitely, he has introduced new technological innovations in the Pakistan team’s training and preparation patterns and the stress has been on any exercise or task carried out by the players being cricket related,” Haroon said adding, “Everything that the players did was cricket related. Woolmer saw each player batting for about 90 minutes in the nets in different modes.”
Haroon insisted that Woolmer had tried to put the players in a comfort zone with his training methods without letting up on them. "He has tried to keep them involved in the game at all times and has encouraged them to speak their mind while insisting on them taking and accepting their responsibilities as professional players playing for their country and also making it clear that the captain’s authority is final.
Bob Woolmer will join the Pakistan team in Colombo on July 14 for their Asia Cup campaign.
