Lawson: Oz Tour In Jeopardy

Coach Geoff Lawson expects Australia to cancel their scheduled tour of Pakistan amidst concerns over security.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers' Assocation are set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the proposed tour following a spate of bombings in Pakistan.

The tour is scheduled to start on March 29, but Pakistan coach Lawson is already braced for a withdrawal.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seems to be pretty negative about the tour, only because the correspondence they've been receiving from Cricket Australia has been negative,"

Lawson told The Age newspaper.

"Pretty much everything they've heard from CA has been a hedging of bets in case they decide not to come.

"The PCB have been pretty disappointed by the comments. Everyone here knows there would be no problem with the tour, yet the more likely scenario seems to be that it won't happen from what we're hearing."

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has repeatedly said he is unlikely to make the tour and Lawson insists this is because the dates clash with the inaugural Indian Premier League.

"It would be a terrific coincidence,"

Lawson said.

"You would like to think that wouldn't be what it was about, but the amounts of money being talked about are massive.

"To a certain degree, it's pretty embarrassing to be over here and hearing some of the stuff being said.

"When people here read what Symonds has had to say about touring Pakistan, there is a lot of shaking of the head. There is no knowledge behind those comments whatsoever. Australian players don't realise how important the game is to other countries.

"This decision is far bigger than just the fate of a few matches. If the precedent is set, it would give everybody an out from coming here because 'that's what Australia did'."

Zimbabwe Stunned Australia in a Thrilling Match

Zimbabwe pulled off a shock five-wicket victory against Twenty20 world championship favourite Australia on Wednesday, winning with one ball to spare.

Brendan Taylor scored an undefeated 60 in Zimbabwe’s total of 139-5.

Zimbabwe restricted Australia to 138-9 with some brilliant fielding after being asked to bowl by Ricky Ponting at the Newlands Stadium.

In an earlier match, Shahid Afridi took four wickets in Pakistan’s 51-run victory over Scotland. Pakistan made 171 off its 20 overs. In the opening match of the day, Mark Gillespie took four wickets to lead New Zealand to a nine-wicket win over Kenya.

Yasir Hameed's century crushes Australia

An unbeaten century by Yasir Hameed helped Pakistan A to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Australia A in the first ODI at Lahore. Coming in at the fall of former Test opener Taufeeq Umar for 9, Hameed smashed 15 boundaries during his 111-ball stay, sharing an unbroken 165-run third wicket partnership with Faisal Iqbal (76*).

None of the Australian bowlers bar Doug Bollinger were rewarded as Pakistan romped home with nine overs to spare.

Earlier, three run outs and a pair of wickets by Umar restricted Australia to 232 for 7 off their alloted 50 overs. Luke Ronchi was run out off the last ball of the first over without scoring and Australia never managed to recover from there. Phil Jaques and Adam Voges, Australia's captain, did chip in with a useful 44 and 46 respectively, but it was not until a quickfire unbeaten 55 off 46 deliveries by James Hopes that a decent total looked possible.

A generous supply of 23 extras also helped the total as Najaf Shah, the tall left-arm pacer, went wicketless while Tahir Khan and Mohammad Irshad grabbed one victim each. The teams now head to Sheikhupura for the second match of the series before coming back to Lahore for the third and final game.

I'll join ICL if team's doors are closed on me :Afridi

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team’s all rounder Shahid Afridi said that he may think of joining the Indian cricket league only when the doors of Pakistan cricket team will be closed on him.

In a talk with media in Lahore, Shahid Afridi said that he is the first Pakistani player to whom an offer was made to play Indian league for a huge package but he declined it just to play for the national team.

Shahid Afridi said that this country has given him the most and he at the moment cannot even think of joining the ICL.

He said that when the doors of Pakistan cricket team will be slammed on him then he will join the ICL. Because the administrators say that the players may enter into agreement with the ICL whenever they want.

Afridi said that Geoff Lawson is trying to enhance the confidence of the players and this is the initial duty of any coach.

Pakistan coach to be named in a few days

ISLAMABAD: The coach for the national cricket team is expected to be named in a few days, it was officially learnt on Monday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to finalise the name of the coach, who will probably be a foreigner, before July 15. The vacancy of the coach has been vacant since the death of Bob Woolmer on March 18 — a day after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup in the very first round in the West Indies. Prominent among the foreigners in line for the job of Pakistan cricket coach are Geoff Lawson and Dav Whatmore, both from Australia.

Whatmore heads to Pakistan for interview

Dav Whatmore arrives in Pakistan on Wednesday hoping to push further his credentials as the next coach of Pakistan. Whatmore will be interviewed by the PCB on Thursday as a potential candidate for the position, the third Australian the board has interviewed this week.

Earlier in the week, Richard Done, the ICC high-performance manager and former New South Wales fast bowler, and Geoff Lawson, former Test cricketer, were also interviewed. Lawson yesterday visited the national team's conditioning camp currently underway in Abbottabad, meeting with senior players and officials.

One of the three will become Pakistan's coach though Zakir Khan, director operations PCB and a member of the three-man committee to find a coach, stressed again the decision will not be taken in haste.

Khan didn't confirm that an appointment will be made by July 1, the date set by chairman Nasim Ashraf, to announce a new coach to succeed the late Bob Woolmer.

"It is premature to give an exact date right now. After the interviews of the three, our committee will compile a report and present our choice to the chairman, who will take it to the ad-hoc committee. Only then will a decision be made,"

Khan told Cricinfo.

The board has been tight-lipped about its preferences from the three in recent days. Khan said that the interviews had gone well and that all three had excellent qualifications.

"They were shortlisted because of their qualifications and on the basis of past achievements."

Until recently, Whatmore was understood to be the board's top choice, the only hitch being his interest in the position of India coach. With that now out of the way, the path appears clear for Whatmore to take over. But the board is said to be impressed by Done as well, and he would seemingly fit in with some officials' wishes that the new coach be a low-key personality willing to prove himself internationally with Pakistan.

Meanwhile Javed Miandad, former captain and three-time coach, continued his criticism of the board's policy for selecting a coach by pointing out that Lawson had not officially applied for the position.

Miandad disagreed with the board's decision to publicly advertise the vacancy and invite applications arguing that no coach of substance would apply in such a way. Lawson made clear before arriving in Pakistan that the board had contacted him and not the other way round.

Miandad told Dawn,

"Now I ask the PCB: where does it stand? Instead of considering the applications of those candidates who have applied for the post, it is contacting those who did not apply."

Pakistan unveils hectic home season

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled a hectic international home season that includes hosting South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia.

South Africa arrive first and are scheduled to play two Tests and five ODIs between September 26 and October 29. Pakistan then tour India from November 2 to December 13 for three Tests and five ODIs.

Zimbabwe are scheduled to arrive for a series of five one-day internationals in January and February next year while world champions Australia tour from March 10 to April 27, 2008. Soon after, Pakistan will also host the Asia Cup.

The U-19 and A teams are likely to be as busy. Pakistan U-19 travel to England this July, while their Australian and Bangladeshi counterparts are expected to tour Pakistan in October and November. Pakistan then return to Bangladesh before taking part in the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia in February. The Australia A team also tours Pakistan in September.

Meanwhile, the PCB is confident that South Africa will have no problems playing a Test in Karachi in October.

"We have sent a tentative itinerary to the South Africans which includes Karachi as a venue for one of the two Tests,"

Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer, told the reporter. The city is in line to hold an ODI as well.

Naghmi added that thus far, South African officials had not raised any objections though the final itinerary will only be announced after full approval from board officials. He also added that it is unlikely South Africa will send officials to inspect security arrangements before the tour. "We have assured them that the South African cricketers will get foolproof security cover."

Karachi has missed out on international matches in the recent past due to security concerns. After the events of September 11, 2001 and in particular, May 14, 2002, when a bomb blast outside the visiting New Zealand team's hotel killed 14 people, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, India and England have all refused to play Tests in the port city.

The trend was broken last year when England played an ODI there and India stayed for a Test.

New coach to be nominated in July: Nasim Ashraf

BHURBAN: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Dr. Nasim Ashraf said that both Richard Done and Geoff Lawson are determined for coaching the Pakistan cricket team.

The name of the new coach of the national cricket team will definitely be announced in July after the interview of Dave Whatmore.

He was talking with Abid Malik of News in Bhurban.

Lawson ‘honoured’ to be Pakistan coach candidate

BHURBAN, Pakistan: Former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson said on Monday he was honoured to be a candidate to coach Pakistan, saying it was one of the top jobs in world cricket.
Lawson, 49, is one of three Australians shortlisted to replace Bob Woolmer along with former Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore and Richard Done.

“I am honoured and feel great pride to be among the running candidates".

“Pakistan have a bright future and that’s what took me here,”

Lawson told reporters in Bhurban.

“It is one of the most important jobs in world cricket. I am actually in the running and it is great to be back in Pakistan after 25 years,”

said Lawson, part of the Australian team who lost 3-0 in a Test series here in 1982.

Lawson, who took 180 wickets in 46 Tests between 1980 to 1987, arrived here early Monday and was interviewed by a three-member Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) panel in the afternoon. He admitted he was initially reluctant to come but changed his mind after last week’s announcement by Jamaican police that Woolmer died of natural causes and was not murdered, as initially announced.

“It is fair to say that I changed my mind after it was announced Woolmer died of natural causes. I mean, there could not have been any other reason and had it been I would not have been here,”

said Lawson.

The Australian said it was “disappointing” to see Pakistan dumped out of the World Cup by outsiders Ireland in March.

“They are impressive when they play well and are frustrating when they play bad but they still are a good group of men who can be motivated,”

Lawson said of the Pakistan team, whom he will meet on Tuesday (today).

“I have been a great admirer of Pakistan players, having watched their matches in early mornings in Australia and met some players”

while working with the media, he said.

Australia’s tour to Pakistan subject to security

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will have to wait for a final word from a high-level security delegation of Cricket Australia (CA) before they can start planning for tours by the Australian junior and senior teams this season.

While the Australian under-19 and ‘A’ teams are due to tour Pakistan from late August to October onwards, the senior team tours in February-March next year to play three Tests and five One-day Internationals (ODIs).

A senior official of the board said on Friday that Cricket Australia had confirmed they would be sending their inspection team on a reconnaissance visit sometime in July.

The Australians would visit all the proposed venues and meet with security officials to ensure their teams face no problems in Pakistan.

Shafqat Nagmi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the visit by the inspection team didn’t mean the Australians had any reservations about playing in Pakistan. “Their tours are very much on. These inspection visits are now routine and done before every series,” he added.

Australia had in 2002 backed out of touring Pakistan citing security concerns for their players after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. The series was later played at neutral venues.

The Australians last played a Test series in Pakistan in 1998-99 but their junior teams have made visits in the last three years.

Rixon considered for Pakistan role

Steve Rixon, the former Australia wicketkeeper, has been sounded out as a potential coach of Pakistan. However, Rixon said the unexplained death of Bob Woolmer had left him in doubt whether he wanted the job and he has not officially applied.

Pakistan's board was reportedly impressed by Rixon's successful stretch as New Zealand's coach from 1996 to 1999, and specifically his work with the captain Stephen Fleming. Rixon said whether he put in for the Pakistan position might depend on what police uncovered about Woolmer's death in Jamaica at the World Cup.

"They [Pakistan] have made contact with me, I have spoken to them,"

Rixon told .

"I haven't indicated whether I'm interested yet. I'm finding it extremely hard
to get over the fact Bob Woolmer is no longer with us, to be honest. I'd never
say never, but I'll be interested in the results of the inquiry."

As well as Pakistan, there are still senior coaching vacancies in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Without naming specific nations, Rixon confirmed he had

"spoken to a few different countries"

but had not committed to applying for any of the roles.

Rixon, who is based in Sydney, said coaching on the subcontinent would be a very different challenge, if he chose to pursue it.

"It's something that's not grabbing me and saying 'you've got to come and do
it',"

Rixon said of a potential move to Asia.

"But who knows? This interest might be the spark that gets me there."

Rixon spent two years at the helm of Surrey from 2004-05 and has also had two separate stints as the coach of New South Wales. He hoped to return to the international ranks as John Buchanan's replacement this year, although Australia instead chose Tim Nielsen.