Australian coach impressed

Australian coach Richard Done arrived at the Regional Cricket Academy at the KRL Stadium Friday and seemed impressed with what he saw. "They are all enthusiastic and talented players," he told Dawn on arrival in Rawalpindi where he will be stopping for two days before heading for the regional academy in Karachi.

Done who has been associated with the Australian Cricket Academy for nine years where he worked with Rodney Marsh, said that the Pakistan Cricket Board's programme had been done professionally. "It is a good programme with professional people running it and its benefits will come in three to five years," said Done who arrived here after visiting the regional academy in Peshawar. Done who has also spent five days at the main academy in Lahore, said the talent there was particularly good and fast bowler Najaf Shah had a fine future.

The Australian who has also worked as cricket coach at the Queensland Academy of Sport and has coached the Australian youth team said that some of the players in Rawalpindi were quite talented. He did not say who they were. The Rawalpindi academy has 21 boys with former first class cricketers Masood Anwar and Sabih Azhar the coaches.