Inzamam-ul-Haq has planned to request the Pakistan Cricket Board to employ a bowling coach, among other support staff. The News reported that he would make the demands during the PCB’s next meeting, on June 4.Inzamam, who lead Pakistan during the series against India, saw his bowlers break down during the series, and he believed the injuries cost the team dearly. He was insistent that a professional team back up would prevent similar problems in the future, and said that professionals should be employed soon, so the team was ready for the Asia Cup, which begins in July.”Injuries have been a major problem for us in the past, and hit us badly in the series against India. We need to overcome this problem,” Inzamam said. “We are planning to have a 22-day training camp, ideally from June 20. And I want the board to provide us with a bowling coach, a qualified physiotherapist and a trainer who can be with us in the camp and work with the players.”He also made clear his preference of the support staff’s age, and said that it didn’t matter where they came from. “I don’t care if the physio and trainer are from Pakistan. I am not asking specifically for foreigners. What I want is they are young and well-versed with the modern requirements of the sport. Look at all the other teams today. They all have young qualified physios and trainers attached with them. Cricket is now a science."During the series against India, it was pointed out that the Indian team had an efficient support staff, and suggestions were made that Pakistan were unprofessional in their approach to the game. And when Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami failed to swing the ball and had problems with no-balls, the calls for a bowling coach became vociferous. It was a move that Javed Miandad first disagreed with, before grudgingly accepting. Inzamam, on the other hand, was all for it. “I would like someone like Daryl Foster helping out the players. I have also spoken to Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram and they have said if the board offers them a proper assignment they will do it. But for the time being I have also requested them to come and work with the bowlers in the training camp for 22 days.""I am asking for a bowling coach and have asked Waqar and Wasim to come and help out Sami, Shoaib, Shabbir and the other bowlers … [and help them regain their] ability to swing the ball."With the Asia Cup barely two months away, Inzamam underscored the importance of doing well in the tournament, and said that the confidence the team took away from there could be used for the Champions Trophy in England. “I think we badly need to do well in the Asia Cup, in fact win it. Because we need to get our own confidence back but also restore the confidence of the nation. We have to perform much better in the Asia Cup because you have the world’s top two teams, India and Sri Lanka, competing in it.”

With the Asia Cup only days away, John Wright has fired the first salvo for India, warning opponents that the team has been thorough in its preparation for the upcoming tournament.”We have done various research on the opposition teams,” he said. “Particularly, we concentrated on Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Our computer analyst has been of great help. He is providing us data and information on the opposition bowlers and batsmen, besides [on] our own players.”After the tour of Pakistan, India had a three-month layoff from the game, but a series of camps were held to ensure the players stayed fit and match-ready. Wright addressed the issue about India’s batting line-up.”Various people will have various opinions on an issue, but it eventually boils down to the captain as to who should do what,” Wright said, referring to the players’ publicly aired views about India’s openers. “Both [Aakash Chopra and Yuvraj Singh] are outstanding players, no doubt. But if you ask me, frankly I would say the selectors select the team and the captain desides who should bat where. The selectors, vice-captain and myself, as coach, will give our advice, but it’s the captain who will decide the batting order.”

Inzamam-ul-Haq has revealed that the Pakistan board didn’t 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.”Initially, 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,” Inzamam told the daily. “I had no idea Woolmer was in line to take charge of the team.”Speaking about Miandad’s tenure as coach, Inzamam said: “Javed was sincere as a coach. I didn’t 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.”Looking forward to the training camp which begins on July 2, Inzamam stated that it would give him an opportunity to familiarise himself with Woolmer’s training techniques. “I 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.”He also pointed out the difference between Woolmer and Richard Pybus, the South African who had unsuccessful stints as coach of Pakistan. “The 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.”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. “Hopefully Woolmer would be able to introduce both these things among our players to make them consistent performers.”Woolmer’s first assignment with the team will be the six-nation Asia Cup, which starts in Sri Lanka on July 16.

Brett Lee is slated to to visit India next month to get used to the subcontinental pitches before Australia’s tour to the country in October. According to a report in The Sun-Herald, an Australian daily, Lee will travel to India with Dennis Lillee and train at the MRF Pace Foundation, where Javagal Srinath will also help him develop the skills needed to succeed on Indian wickets.Lee is then scheduled to head off to England in mid-August, for a stint of county cricket. The report says that he is most likely to join Surrey, though Middlesex have also made him an offer.Lee recently underwent ankle surgery after sustaining an injury in Sri Lanka in March, and rejoined the Australian squad prior to the Test at Cairns for a net practice. “He’s going to do some work with Lillee in 10 days’ time in Brisbane, he’s having a bowl with the Australian team in Cairns and hopefully he will be able to play a few county matches as well,” said Neil Maxwell, Lee’s manager. “The selectors are playing tough but he’s pretty relaxed,” he added. “The focus is India and it will be interesting to see if he can do that because his recovery is going well and he’s got a wider range of movement in the ankle than ever.”Lee, 27, faces a tough battle to get back into the team, following the resurgence of Michael Kasprowicz, his replacement in the Test team. Kasprowicz took 12 wickets in the 3-0 win in Sri Lanka four months ago, and led Australia to an emphatic victory in the first Test at Darwin, taking 7 for 39 in Sri Lanka’s second innings.Lee has been named in Australia’s 30-man provisional squad for the Champions Trophy, but is unlikely to make the final cut.

Greg Shipperd, Victoria’s coach, has spoken up for Cameron White, who he believes embodies the next generation of Australian players. He said that Australia would do well to include White in the India-bound squad, for if he played well there, it would only mean good things for the team.White is viewed as an un-Australian legspinner, as he does not turn the ball significantly, instead relying on changes of pace and a wrong `un, which has sparked comparisions with Anil Kumble. But his wicket-taking ability, along with his batting talent and cool thinking, was instrumental in his promotion to captaincy of the Victorian side at the age of 20. He was applauded for his handling of more experienced teammates, and it was this maturity that Shipperd pointed to.”It think it’s a great opportunity for them,” said Shipperd, referring to Australia. “They need to look to the next generation for a spinner to go after Warney, and Cameron is clearly the brightest light, not only for his bowling but because his other skills are so good. The time is right, while Warney is still around and he can learn from him and tour in that environment.”While Warne and White play for Victoria, they have never played in a Test together. The closest they came to it was during the Zimbabwe tour, when White was called up to replace Stuart MacGill, who withdrew from the tour. The tour was eventually cancelled.MacGill has since been told that his selection for the Indian tour was unlikely, and there has been speculation that the selectors might pick a spinner in a different mould. According to Shipperd, White fits that mould perfectly because of his resemblance to Kumble, who has been prolific on Indian wickets.”Those who think they need someone who turns the ball into the right-hander rather than a legspinner only need to look at how he moves the ball through the air, like Kumble does, and Kumble’s record in India speaks for itself,” said Shipperd. “We’ve got someone like him and if he gets it right over there then there could be 10 years in front of him.”Incidentally, White played against the Indians during their tour of Australia, but success eluded him. He conceded 60 runs in 13 wicketless overs and scored only 20 in the match.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman’s XI 398 for 2 (Ashar Zaidi 202*, Faisal Iqbal 86*, Asif Zakir 61) drew with Zimbabweans 215
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Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan started with a draw, but aside from Elton Chigumbura’s innings yesterday, there was precious little for them to celebrate. On the second day of their match against a Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman’s XI at Sheikupura their bowlers were ripped apart as the home side closed on 398 for 2.The man of the day was Ashar Zaidi, who completed his unbeaten double hundred shortly before the umpires called time. He put on 158 for the first wicket with Asif Zakir (61) and 174 for the third with Faisal Iqbal (86).Graeme Cramer, an 18-year-old legspinner, took both wickets to fall, finishing with 2 for 69 on an otherwise grim day for the bowlers.

Scorecard