Shoaib Akhtar's spectacular run-up -- charging down the pitch from far, with flowing mane and smoldering eyes -- will be missing at the upcoming Asia Cup. New Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has asked his speedsters to cut down their run-ups in the one-dayers.
Woolmer, who spent a week with Pakistan's Asia Cup cricket probables at a camp in Lahore, concentrated on shortening the run-ups of Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul for the one-day version of the game.
"Shoaib in particular has become very comfortable with his shortened run-up which he will use in the Asia Cup," team manager Haroon Rashid was quoted as saying in Islamabad daily The News.
"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," he said.
The Pakistan team has been saddled with problems due to fast bowlers frequently overstepping at the crease and slow over-rates in the one-dayers, resulting in fines and penalties being imposed by the match-referees.
"Woolmer believes that nowadays one-day cricket is scripted for 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," Rashid said.
He said Woolmer had given this facet of the game a lot of attention because he felt that Pakistani bowlers lost their focus and came under pressure when pitted in a race against time to complete overs in the one-dayers.
Rashid said the 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.
"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 revealed that Woolmer had prepared a questionnaire soon after joining the camp for each player. "After getting back these questionnaires, he met with each player individually and discussed a lot of things openly with them. After this, team meetings were also organised to put things into place."
While making it clear that he was in no way trying to demean the standing or hard work put in by former coach Javed Miandad, Rashid said he definitely sees a change in the methods employed by Woolmer.
"Definitely, he has introduced technological innovations in the Pakistan team's training and preparation patterns and the stress has been on every exercise or task carried out by the players being cricket related.
"Everything that the players did was cricket related. Woolmer saw each player batting for about 90 minutes in the nets in different modes."
He also said that Woolmer had tried to put the players in a comfort zone with his training methods. "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."
Woolmer, who has left for South Africa to complete a coaching assignment, will join the Pakistan team in Colombo on July 14 for their Asia Cup campaign.
