We leave Trinidad and say goodbye to all our friends and helpers, who were great. We are ferried by bus - I say we because all the teams are about to congregate for the opening ceremony, photographs and the beginning of World Cup. Our flight to Jamaica is two hours and 45 minutes and most of the guys sleep or read. We eventually arrive at Montego Bay, a really beautiful part of Jamaica, and stay at the luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel.
It is an excellent hotel and it’s a shame that we are not able to have a three-week holiday there! It is not every day that you are able to swim with some of today's great cricketers and lounge around chatting about the game. On the first evening the hosts organised a large welcoming party for all the teams. The president and prime minister of Jamaica were there - and so was a very loud band. They had stationed outside my room, so if I wanted to get to sleep before 11pm I was going to be disappointed. They played some great music and finished bang on 11pm!
March 11
It is strange, but the warm-up games – they were nice - did not make you feel like you were quite in the World Cup. At the Ritz Carlton it was easy to realise that the games were on. First in line was the coach, captain and manager meeting, then the captains’ meeting, then the photographs of all the teams and then on to the bus for the opening ceremony.
As we travelled in convoy past the paying public you realise just how privileged you are to be escorted through miles of cars bumper to bumper. On arrival at the Trelawny stadium we were ushered to our seats, which unfortunately had no shade. I am not sure, and therefore stand to be corrected, but the sun goes down in the west in the West Indies so we were sitting on the east stand. While we were able to see a magnificent sunset we were also roasted and could see little of the first half of the opening ceremony. However, the second half was excellent and when we walked on to the field to the acknowledgment of the crowd it really all started to sink in. The ceremony went according to plan and we were all back at our pub (fancy calling the Ritz Carlton a pub!) and as we were away the next day we - or at least I - went to bed.
March 12
We were again looked after like kings when we were able to check-in our baggage in one of the hotel meeting rooms, then breakfast and off to the plane for our 25-minute flight to Kingston, although I was puzzled that on an internal flight we had to fill-in a customs form! Obviously Montego Bay is just out of this world!
After the flight we were supposed to go to Sabina Park for our practice, but unfortunately the new nets were not ready in time - at least the surfaces are still too young - so we went to the Kensington Oval and had three great middle pitches. It is more important to practice on good surfaces than on poor ones. From there we went to have a look at Sabina Park ready for the important game against the West Indies.
The pitch looked really good and the new stadium was quite magnificent - a regal setting for the game. To bed tonight perchance to dream of good things.
Comments
Posted by: Ehsan Ur-Rehman Khan Chattar at March 14, 2007 5:53 AM
I just finished commenting on Kamran Abbasi's blog. I understand that team might be a little disappointed by the defeat. However there is no use of crying over spilt milk. The next two games are not going to be easy and should be played like a final. I would like to rest Kaneria, Rana and I Nazir and bring Sami, Azhar and Arafat in. Open bowling with Gul and Rao. Open batting with Malik and Younis moving Yousuf and Inzi to 3 and 4 respectively. Hafeez should be batting at 5. When Afridi will come back from his ban then you can drop one of the worst performing all-rounder in the next two matches to bring him in.
Posted by: Zameer ud din at March 14, 2007 6:16 AM
Mr. Woolmer you said in your recent interview that Pakistan’s old players always unnecessarily citicised Pakistan team and our performance will shut their mouths. I think after yesterday's brilliant performance they do not have to say any thing congrats what a performance. Bob when ever two team play a match one has to win. Important question here is no matter you win or lose its part of the game but at least you must show fight I did not see any fight yesterday from team selection to on field performance. It looks only the date and year is changed otherwise we are where we were in world cup 2003. In year 2003 at least we had an excuse that there was huge politics among Wasim and Waqar group we do not have any such excuse this time. I am anticipating that Pakistan will lose either against Ireland or Zimbabwe and we will not reach super 8 and that is my prediction for you. You will have early holidays so enjoy
Posted by: Faisal at March 14, 2007 9:35 AM
Can you pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase tell us why are we playing Rana Naved-ul-Hasan ??? You seem like a reasonable bloke, and since you are a laptop coach, surely you must have read all the stats and the public perception. Please, stand up against nepotism and select players based on merit only.
Posted by: Haseeb - Kuwait at March 14, 2007 10:40 AM
I think Mohammed Sami is better choice as compare to Rana Naveed because he bowled very well in practice match and he is much more experienced then Rana.
Posted by: Disgruntled Pakistani at March 14, 2007 11:12 AM
Bob.... WTF is up with the team? Why are there so many puffs playing. And why are the not so puffs in the past, such big puffs now.... I think PCB has got things in a tangle. Why dont you slap em around a bit and get extradited so they cant get to u???
Posted by: aamer at March 14, 2007 12:01 PM
Come on BOB! inject some energy in our batting, the way they tumbled against west indies was really depressing!!!
Posted by: Atif - United States at March 14, 2007 8:04 PM
People are going to comment and in fact they should on a such "Prof." batting from Pakistan, We play with Shiv. Chanderpaul in our club in US and found one thing that even when he play with us at our level of cricket(Which is still better then Pakistan team) he give his heart out with no arrogance and thats what is required from Pakistani players, who should not be proud of the good performances rather worry about the silly mistakes they are doing, cricket is a one ball game and I dont blame you as you are dealing with attitudes not with "Players". Rana's bowling style need to be corrected(Which may be too late), will recomend Sami to replace him and move Inzi to 3 and Younis Khan to 5. Tell the openers if they come back prior to 10 overs they will be packing thr bags, that will help ...When Afridi is ready please send him as opener with Hafeez, it is better to take risk with Afridi then with current opener. I wish and pray that we can win from Ireland and Zimb. I will not keep too many hopes......Good luck
Posted by: Taha at March 14, 2007 8:05 PM
Coach,
What's going on with our shot selection? Case in point Younis Khan and Hafeez. Secondly, please explain the logic behind Rana's inclusion. Thanks
Posted by: Sohail Khan at March 14, 2007 8:41 PM
Bob:
Its time to drop Naved and Imran Nazir and bring on Sami and Azhar Mahmood. Younis should open, as he is in any case since one of the openeres typically goes for a duck anyway. And would someone like to explain why Yasir Hamid is not in this squad?
Posted by: Pakistan forever at March 14, 2007 9:57 PM
Mr. Woolmer,
I am a huge Pakistan fan and proud Pakistani, however a performance like yesterday is making it difficult for me to even watch the team. I will stick with them through thick and thin, but seriously Mr. Woolmer, fix the selections that are being made. I honestly put my head down in disappointment when I saw Rana walk out onto the field in the form he's been in and Azhar not being on the team was even worse. We didn't have sufficient all rounders AT ALL and Inzamam needs to be a real captain for once and put himself where the problem is and go open.
Posted by: Protic at March 14, 2007 10:07 PM
Replace Rana with Azhar Mahmood and Rao with Sami.
Rao got 'lucky' that day.. and Do something with the opening pair..i mean Hafeez and Nazir are just waste!..Put Shoaib Malik upfront.
Posted by: Muzaffar at March 15, 2007 2:50 AM
Wow We loose again and I agree with some of the other comments that we didn’t put up the fight. Let me express myself and then I will put some suggestions. First of all the team should try to loose against Ireland or Zimbabwe so the can get out of the westindies because if they get to super eights they will be thrashed by the real teams likes of India , Australia , south Africa etc as our bowling is rubbish. So it will be more embracing to loose all the six matches in super eights compared with dropping out at the group stage.
Now what the hell MR RANA doing in the team he shouldn’t be in A team of Pakistan
Replace him with Sami at least he can deliver yorkers . Imran Nazir what a great batsman we all know he is a child he has not matured even 1 % in last 8- years (I think) kick him out and bring in Azhar. Open with Shoiab and Hafeez and send Azhar at number 5. and I don’t know with kaneria ….. alright give him another game lets see.
I hope Mr. Bob will read this …. We should not include Afridi in the team if he want to bat at # 5 . you cant have a player like Afridi at # 5 it doesn’t make any sense ya ya we know he played a good knock in third ODI against SA but at that time we were not chasing and all the batsman had played a good innings so there was no pressure on him. I don’t remember a single game when afridi produced a match winning inning at no 5
( condition: we were chasing and under pressure) if we are playing him he should open with malik and hafeez should be at #5
Hmm….. I think I have solved the problem
Finally thanks to malik what a great knock he saved us from a total embarrassment MALIK you are a gem
May Allah help Pakistan to get to S 8 ….
And may Allah save them from complete thrashing
OH NO we have to play India in S 8 Oh GOD not the fifth time please
Posted by: markony at March 15, 2007 3:08 AM
Hi Bob,
You are an intelligent bloke and can see from the failure of our team in their first WC 07 outing, they are not. How could two of our best batsmen be at the crease and kill the game for us. there did not make any attempt to be aggressive with their batting, running between wickets neither their body language. One can sense the defeatist attitude in the whole team and Inzi is leading this problem from the front. he should be responsible for bad selection policy and real bad decisions during the last five overs of the match against the WI. On what basis did Imran Nazir make the WC squad I dont understand and whatever happened to Salman Butt who has proved quite useful in Australia, India and against England in the home series. Instead of giving Imran Farhat such a long run who miserably failed in South Africa time after time making the same mistakes.
Posted by: markony at March 15, 2007 3:09 AM
Hi Bob,
You are an intelligent bloke and can see from the failure of our team in their first WC 07 outing, they are not. How could two of our best batsmen be at the crease and kill the game for us. there did not make any attempt to be aggressive with their batting, running between wickets neither their body language. One can sense the defeatist attitude in the whole team and Inzi is leading this problem from the front. he should be responsible for bad selection policy and real bad decisions during the last five overs of the match against the WI. On what basis did Imran Nazir make the WC squad I dont understand and whatever happened to Salman Butt who has proved quite useful in Australia, India and against England in the home series. Instead of giving Imran Farhat such a long run who miserably failed in South Africa time after time making the same mistakes.
Posted by: Ali at March 15, 2007 5:33 AM
We have yet to see a positive body language of our team. Apart from Umer Gul and Dansih everyone was giving the impression that they have been forced to play. They were giving the impression that no matter what they do still would end up on losing side. All of us wants to see out energetic and positive looking Pakistan team back in action soon otherwise an early flight back home seems well on cards.
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