Until the end of the Indian tour of Pakistan, we will be running a daily Paper Round of what newspapers in India and Pakistan, and from around the world, are saying about this series. This is what the media had to report today:
According to The News, Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has indicated that the board is considering hiring specialised coaches to improve the national team's performance.
"We are seriously considering hiring not only a bowling coach, but also a fielding expert and a physical trainer as well to overcome weaknesses in these departments," he said, with reference to a below-par performance in the last game. "But we cannot do it all of a sudden, as it would take some time to implement these decisions. Hopefully, we will be making some decisions after the India series."
* * *
Javed Miandad is not enamoured with the idea of a bowling coach, and says that the will to improve can come only from within, reports the Press Trust of India (PTI).
"What can a bowling coach do when the player himself does not want to improve? A coach can only offer guidance from outside. It is up to the bowler to improve and overcome the flaw," said Miandad. "Bowlers like Imran, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis used to work hard at the nets and sort out their problems. The current lot of bowlers need to work harder and show some discipline."
However, the The News quoted Miandad as saying, "We might have to think about seeking specialist help if this problem [of wides and no balls] is not contained soon."
Earlier, Imran Khan had questioned whether a batsmen-dominated management team could help Pakistan's bowlers, suggesting that a bowling coach would prove beneficial.
* * *
Omar Kureishi jumps on to Imran's side of the bowling-coach bandwagon in his latest piece in The Indian Express. Writing about the lack of bowling discipline, he states that in their quest for wickets, the bowlers gave away too many runs.
He suggests that Wasim Akram could be a bowling coach, but the PCB was uncomfortable with him around. And since Waqar Younis hadn't yet given up hope of playing for Pakistan, that option was out. Instead, Aquib Javed made for a worthy bowling coach, as he had worked well at the junior level. But while Mohammad Sami and Shabbir Ahmed could benefit from his experience, would Shoaib Akhtar care to listen?
Kureshi reckons that Javed Miandad considers the appointment of a bowling coach a threat to his authority, and writes that Miandad would do well to reconsider, because his confidence - bordering on overconfidence - was blinding his judgement.
* * *
While Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif were building a partnership during the fourth one-dayer, superstitions were rampant in the Indian dressing room. The Indian Express found out that VVS Laxman could not leave his seat till the game was over, while Yuvraj Singh was ordered to stay horizontal on the massage table until the game was sealed. Amrit Mathur, the media manager, was persona non grata in the dressing room while the match went on, because of the belief that a wicket would fall if he were around.
* * *
Part of Rahul Dravid's match preparations centre on visualising his success, according to The Times of India. Dravid's biographer, Vedam Jaishankar, was quoted as saying, "He replays all the games that he has played against the opposition. He then keeps thinking of all his best moments and the shots that he has hit against them until he starts feeling good. I've seen Rahul since his school days. It doesn't matter whether it's a club game, a Ranji or an international match. He follows the same routine."
* * *
Sourav Ganguly had a night out after India beat Pakistan in Lahore, with two friends and a plainclothes security guard for company. Rediff reported that Ganguly stopped by Food Street, and gorged on kebabs and chicken. He then posed for photographs and signed autographs, and the crowd warmed to him, despite their team having been beaten just a few hours earlier.
While much was made of the boredom the players would encounter due to a thick security blanket in Pakistan, a number of team members have gone shopping and sightseeing. However, Sachin Tendulkar fell victim to a more common danger - daylight robbery. He paid 1000 rupees for a pair of Peshawari slippers that were worth only 300 rupees.