Pakistan board clamps down on Woolmer talk

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan board, believes Bob Woolmer should not be giving out unnecessary statements to the media. There were reports in some sections of the local press in Pakistan on Tuesday that Shaharyar had called Woolmer to ask him to avoid making comments to the press. The News quoted sources within the board: "Basically the PCB chief told Woolmer he should only speak when it is absolutely necessary to the press and only give issue-related statements."

The source added, "Shaharyar told him that too many statements didn't help the team or the PCB and only made things more complicated for everyone." Apparently, Khan also discussed the increasingly contentious issue of Woolmer's website, which he has used often to answer criticism from the local media, and also his ongoing verbal battle with ex-coach Javed Miandad.

Abbas Zaidi, the PCB's media director, told Cricinfo: "I cannot say exactly whether or not the chairman has spoken to Woolmer about it. But I can tell you that he does believe Woolmer shouldn't be making all these comments, at least not to the extent that he has been. The reasoning behind it is that it then becomes a slanging match - he said this and he said that - and he should keep a distance from these things."

Zaidi did reveal that Shaharyar had spoken to the team in Australia. "He believes there is no point in criticising the team further. They are already shaken and embarrassed, so hitting them while they are down will further damage their morale. But he has conveyed to them some words of encouragement, as a chairman, to try and forget what has happened and move on to Melbourne [the venue of the second Test, which starts on December 26]."

Shaharyar's words of encouragement come in the face of increasingly hysterical and trenchant criticism in Pakistan at the nature of the team's capitulation at Perth. Some journalists and ex-players have reignited the issue of Woolmer's passport, questioning whether a foreign coach can work successfully with Pakistan. Even the Federal Minister of Sports, Ajmal Khan, weighed in with his views, claiming he didn't think a foreign coach would communicate effectively with Pakistani players.

Most vocal has been Javed Miandad, who has repeatedly questioned Woolmer's aptitude for the job as well as casting doubt over his commitment. Miandad had reacted angrily to statements that Woolmer was seeking the services of a sports psychologist for his "mentally awed" team after the defeat. He told Dawn newspaper: "Criticising one's own team with such remarks is an insult of not only the players but of the entire nation, and it would be better if the coach handles the situation by motivating the players. To me by using the word mental confusion, the coach is labelling his players as mentally disturbed people and that is also the insult of the nation."

Zaidi responded to the barrage of criticism: "We run the game, so we take the blame. The media are basically relying on people for quotes who have been sacked by us. So it isn't surprising that they are making these sort of comments." There have been some ex-players, however, like Imran Khan and Rameez Raja, who have cited poor technique, an outcome of poor domestic playing standards, as the cause of the debacle.

There were isolated outbreaks of public outrage too. In Karachi, for example, protestors burnt effigies of the captain and coach in front of the Press Club. Around 150 protestors also smashed up a public television on Tuesday.

Zaidi said of the public reaction, "I think there is a misperception among the public that we are a very talented and good side. The fact is that we are yet to become a good side and people should realise this. They have beaten India four times since the series at home, but that shouldn't instill false optimism in the public."