Bob Woolmer

Chandigarh: Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, who will be working with the Younis Khans till the March-April 2007 World Cup, needs no introduction. On Thursday, the one-time England allrounder and South Africa coach spoke to The Telegraph for over 45 minutes at the Taj. He was, well, in his elements.

The following are excerpts

Q You’re nearing the business end of your contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Your thoughts today?

A If the World Cup was held tomorrow, we wouldn’t do very well... However, we’ve got time and the team can evolve... We do really well one day, but there’s a dip — owing to complacency or whatever — in the next match... We’re still trying to fathom why it’s happening and it’s something which has to be quickly corrected. From any point of view, the lows which follow the highs are disturbing... If you aren’t consistent, you aren’t going to win a tournament like the World Cup. It’s no consolation that some of the other teams are in the same boat. The last growth phase has been reached.

Despite the recent controversies, and they’ve been big ones, you’ve managed to stay remarkably calm. What’s the secret?

(Smiles) If I won’t, who will? It would be easy to throw a few toys out of the cot and indulge in histrionics... I suppose it’s my love for the game which is a binding factor. Cricket, you’ve got to remember, is bigger than all of us... Whether it’s captains resigning or the chairman putting in his papers or a doping scandal, cricket has to go on... Part of any coach’s role is to try and maintain serenity, encourage the belief that the team has it to go forward... Let me use the analogy of a table which has four legs — captain, coach, the chief selector and the chairman or chief executive... It’s going to remain strong as long as things are stable... In Pakistan, especially, there’s the undermining of that table... The odd leg gives way and, so, the team slips a bit. Somebody, therefore, has to remain firm. Of course, there have been situations when it would’ve been easy for me to say ‘enough is enough’... But cricket drives me and I’ve developed a bond with the players... So, I want to go through till the end of my contract... I would like the players to do well in the biggest tournament... I don’t want to give into the dark forces... We’ve achieved a lot, but still aren’t there... The World Cup is less than five months away and time will quickly go by. (After a pause) We’ve got to get defeats — like the one Wednesday night — out of the system and move on.

Have you ever had to make an effort to stay calm?

In one manner or the other, I’ve been in this game for 38 years... I was brought up in an era of calmness, a time when captains remained calm... The coaches did the shouting! They’re the ones who would get excited... The coaches used to be autocratic... I was taught you would win matches if you stayed calm... That it would help remaining focused... In fact, I learnt from my father (Charles) as well... He was an extremely calm person, while my mother (Stella) would often get excited. I’ve got the calmness trait from my father and have inherited my mother’s drive and energy... While the calmness is largely in-bred, I’ve also had to develop it in the Pakistan situation... There have been times, believe me, when I could’ve throttled people... But, then, of what use would that be? The natural reaction in Pakistan, to a defeat, is to throw out everybody... That’s not possible and it’s an attitude which destroys. One needs to develop the team, put it on track... Give it stability, not destabilise... (After a pause) Some of the destabilisation gets to the players... They do get affected when they read or hear comments which are extremely critical... It destroys confidence... I keep telling them that if they don’t wish to be affected, don’t read the papers... But, even if they don’t, somebody could call and say ‘have you read...’ The best moment to read the papers is the morning after you’ve done well. Having said that, there must be the reality check as well.

Did something snap within after The Oval controversy, for there were reports you’d contemplated quitting?

I was asked whether I would consider resigning and I replied I’d thought about it... I did some self-introspection... I couldn’t understand why things happened the way they did... There were many aspects to what happened — Darrell Hair’s action, our protest, the unbelievable Media reaction the next day... Bottomline is that the team was returning to the field and we wanted to resume the Test, yet the umpires (Billy Doctrove being the other) came off... I spoke to a number of Mediapersons because I wanted to get the whole thing out of my system... You say some things during a crisis but, when you reflect, you feel you shouldn’t have said some of the things... In crisis situations you begin to wonder whether you’re the one to blame... Begin to wonder where you stand in the whole thing... There are periods in life when you question yourself: Have I myself done something wrong? It’s important for people connected with sport to first look in the mirror before blaming others for whatever... And, if you’re convinced you didn’t do anything wrong, then you’ve got to ask whether you could’ve reacted differently... If you don’t do that, you’re never going to improve as a person and as a sportsman... Attitude is important and you’ve got to take a measure of responsibility... When I looked within, I realised we couldn’t have done anything differently (at The Oval). The team wanted to play (after the protest), but wasn’t allowed to.

What did you tell the team once the doping scandal broke in the lead-up to the opening match, in Jaipur?

Quite simple — that we can’t control what has happened, but it’s for us to control our cricket... That our desire and hunger must not diminish... I also said we would support Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif, but the procedures would now take over... That the PCB had to act... It’s not good when somebody tests positive for nandrolone... We’re hoping against hope... We learnt to live without (Inzamam-ul Haq) Inzy in the Champions Trophy and we had to learn to live without Shoaib and Asif as well... If you start worrying, then you’re focusing on external issues and it will impact on your on-field performance.

You encouraged the PCB to conduct the anti-doping tests...

The timing was unfortunate, but the tests have to be done once a year and we did have a break (end-September) from international commitments... There’s talk that the players weren’t informed about the banned substances, but that’s not true... Indeed, it was during the elements-affected Test versus India in Lahore, earlier this year, that they were advised to collect a copy of the World Anti-Doping Agency book placed in the dressing room... If I may add, the stack wasn’t much lower by the time the Test ended... Most of the players said they would be guided by the physio (Darryn Lifson) and no medication taken without his permission... We did keep a record of the medication, but can’t control what happens outside our sphere of influence... I’m uncomfortable with the situation, but don’t know what else could’ve been done. Either out of ignorance or mischief, people do things behind your back... How do you curb it? The book, by the way, is still available in the medical room at the Academy (in Lahore).

What’s the way out of this crisis?

Focusing on the cricket, being more disciplined... Once we return, I’m going to sit down with Inzy and work out what needs to be done... Charting the (fresh) course shouldn’t be difficult, for cricket isn’t rocket science... The new PCB chairman (Dr Nasim Ashraf) is determined to do the same thing... We need players who really want to be there... With the right level of dedication and motivation... With the skills... What’s needed is a level of competitiveness to complement the level of genius... There’s work to be done and, for me, it’s a challenge. Teams going through a bad patch have to find ways to get out of it. It’s a challenge, then, for everybody. The ones which don’t look in the mirror are the ones which start to crumble. That’s not happening in my team, but little things are and that will be addressed.

Have you had a one-on-one with Dr Ashraf?

Yes, for 15 minutes before we left for this tournament... He was very supportive.

The PCB tends to have far too many changes...

Actually, there’s no instability... The chairman was on the ad hoc committee and, so, worked closely with the previous chairman (Shaharyar Khan)... Despite resignations, cricket continues and the PCB continues to run... In a way, Pakistan is evolving as a country and so are the bodies within it... To add, I’ve found President (Pervez) Musharraf’s book, In the Line of Fire, very interesting... How power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely... But, yes, one needs time to have the stability seen in England and Australia’s cricket structure. The desire and aspirations have to be harnessed and nurtured in the right manner... It’s then that cricket is going to blossom in Pakistan.

Do you expect uncomfortable moments in the dressing room once Inzamam is back as captain for the forthcoming series against the West Indies?

No... Younis has accepted he’s captain for this tournament only... I have high regard for both Inzy and Younis and my job is to help whoever is the captain.

Won’t Inzamam be under more pressure now that the PCB chairman has announced the captaincy will be reviewed after the next series?

If you consider cricket to be a pressure sport, then all of us are under pressure... If you don’t produce the results, you’re going to be questioned... The new chairman, obviously, wants to review everything... (After a pause) Inzy’s greatest desire is to have a team which can win the World Cup.

The PCB chairman has asked Inzamam to curb the very public display of religion and that anybody who doesn’t pray regularly must not be made to feel he won’t be picked...

I shudder to comment on these things... There have probably been more pluses than minuses, but it’s not for me to react... The chairman has outlined his thoughts and it’s for Inzy to control things.

What have you learnt the most in the past 28 months?

(Chuckles) Look, the challenges have been big, but the frustrations greater... But the players and the people around the team have been terrific... When I do look back on this experience, I’m bound to say I became much richer as a person.

The final one: Have you begun thinking of life after the World Cup?

I’ve always been involved with a few things... I’ll cross the bridge when I reach it. Right now, my priority is for Pakistan to beat South Africa and make the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy...