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Thursday, 20 October 2005 |
Cricket coach Bob Woolmer favours inclusion of Mushtaq Ahmed
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has
given a big boost to veteran leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed by endorsing his
inclusion in the Pakistan team for the Test series against England in
November.
"Mushtaq had an excellent season with Sussex and his inclusion
is an excellent idea," Bob Woolmer told reporters at National Stadium
on Wednesday where he was watching the performance of the boys in the
four-day match between Pakistan XI and Karachi Region.
"It's a good opportunity for him to get into the side. It will be a
waste of cricket brain if he (Mushtaq) is not included in the team," he
made a point of stressing.
Mushtaq Ahmed took 80 odd wickets for Sussex in the recently
concluded English season. However, the Multan-born Mushtaq Ahmed had a
poor one-dayer and Test match when included in the team against South
Africa two seasons ago.
Mushtaq Ahmed's name was included in the list of the 25
probables for the conditioning camp conducted at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore
from October 21 to November 2.
Bob Woolmer said that Pakistan can use the home advantage by
having a strong 25,000 crowd with good vocal support and that players
should use their local pitches to their own advantage.
Bob Woolmer said the local team was more used to their
conditions and that gave them a slight advantage but it depended on how
you exploit them.
In answer to a question, Bob Woolmer said that squaring the
series against India in India and the West Indies in the Caribbean was
now history and we must look ahead for the important series against
England.
"Pakistan team's job in hand is to come down hard on England for which we are preparing well," Bob Woolmer claimed.
With regard to the form and fitness of skipper Inzmamul Haq
and Shoaib Akhtar in the recently finished Super Series in Australia,
Bob Woolmer said it was just fun and festival cricket and that both
will have good time to prepare for series against England.
Concerning the preparations of the team, Bob Woolmer said they
were heading in the right direction and going well. He said that the
boys missed three days of match at Peshawar because of the earthquake.
Regarding the change of format in the four-day first class
fixture and the inclusion of two extra players in Imran Tahir in
Pakistan XI and Agha Sabir in Karachi team, Bob Woolmer said it can be
done with mutual consent of the two captains.
But Bob Woolmer was unable to give any clear cut verdict as to whether the match has lost its first class status or not.
Bob Woolmer admitted that initially an English made Duke ball
was used in the match but that later bowlers used Kookaburra balls.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 October 2005 )
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