Woolmer lacked control of Pakistan, top official says by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 25th March 2007

 

Bob Woolmer struggled to impose his full authority Pakistan's players who instead looked towards veteran captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, according to former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shahryar Khan.

 

Khan said in an interview with BBC Radio Five Live that for most of the players. Inzaman was their "unquestioned leader."

 

The Pakistan team was heading home on Sunday after leaving Jamaica where the investigation into the murder of Woolmer was in full swing.

 

Shahryar maintained that while English-born Woolmer enjoyed a reasonable relationship with the players, there was occasionally friction with Inzamam.

 

"There were a few confrontations (between Bob and his players)," he said.

 

"But invariably Bob did not take umbrage at various players sulking or even addressing harsh words to him because they'd been left out or asked to go home from a series.

 

"Generally he had a very good relationship with the boys because he took so much trouble.

 

"Being a very gentle person, he would invariably go round and talk to the boys and ask 'why are you being harsh with me'?

 

"Nearly always the boys came around."

 

But Shahryar admitted that though the relationship betwen players and coach was generally healthy, Woolmer was never able to fully impose his authority "because this lay with the captain most of the time."

 

"Bob worked around it. I kept telling him and Inzamam that for the team to succeed both he and the team needed to be united and as one," he said.

 

"Sometimes there was a little fraying of this. There was always a question mark regarding Bob taking total control of the team in every sense.

 

"There was resistance from Inzamam and perhaps successful resistance. Inzamam was the leader, the unquestioned leader of the team."

 

"They (the players) all fell in place around him and were totally supportive of Inzamam. Bob found it difficult sometimes.

 

"If he was giving advice that may not have been accepted by Inzamam, he sometimes found it difficult.

 

"Bob felt he should have had full control of the team but in fact he didn't."

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)