Bob Woolmer gets busy in Pakistan

Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's new coach, has arrived in Lahore and conducted preliminary meetings with the support staff of the Pakistan team. He flew in on Friday from London and got to work right away.

Woolmer has joined the preparatory camp currently under way for Asia Cup probables at the Gaddafi Stadium, and his first move was to call Shoaib Akhtar to the camp. In order to minimise any potential friction, Woolmer took Inzamam-ul-Haq into his confidence before doing so.

"Shoaib is reaching Lahore on Saturday and will join the camp from Sunday," Pakistan's team manager Haroon Rashid told the Dawn newspaper. There were doubts over Shoaib's participation in the Asia Cup after he failed to report to the training camp on the prescribed date of July 1 set by the selectors and the PCB. However, Woolmer met with Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, and Rameez Raja, the chief executive, and convinced them of the need to have Shoaib in the team for the Asia Cup. Shoaib is set to join the camp soon and begin training with the team.

In the recent past Shoaib has missed matches because of injury, and this has led to some concern about his match-fitness. The report adds that Inzamam has said that he had to be convinced of Shoaib's fitness before including him in the squad for the Asia Cup.