Boys to benefit from Lloyd's experience

Pakistan Juniors preparing for next month's cricket World Cup in New Zealand would benefit greatly from the arrival of former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, team coach Haroon Rasheed said Monday.

"I do not see any harm if a person of Lloyd's stature is invited over, we can make use of his experience," Haroon told Dawn.

Lloyd is due to arrive in Islamabad on Jan 1 for a one week coaching assignment with the juniors who are training in Rawalpindi ahead of the World Cup starting Jan 14.

"Lloyd was a very successful captain and his record in the one-day version of the game is quite good, so his arrival here would be an inspiration for us all."

Haroon dismissed the notion that preferring foreign coaches over the ones at home was not a right move of the Pakistan Cricket Board. "The local coaches are good but I tell you the foreigners are high-tech and rely on modern technology in coaching the players which gives them an edge."

Haroon, a former Test player, pointed out that more and more teams were hiring foreign coaches and cited India as an example. "I certainly do not see any problems with having foreigners and I am sure Lloyd's arrival will help the players in more than one way."

During his short stay, Lloyd will be with the junior team for three days and is also likely to hold a clinic for budding players in Rawalpindi.

Haroon said that the players on his team were all very talented but it would require two to three years before some of them graduate to the senior side.

"It would not be right to expect these players to work wonders for us in just a couple of months. Actually we put the boys under pressure by pinning a lot of hopes on them."

"This team is an under-19 side and I feel that they should graduate (to the senior side) through a gradual process. They should first play for a good while on the junior squad and then move into the Pakistan A team before advancing further."

Haroon also spoke of his team's prospects in the World Cup. "This squad has a lot of variety and it will be difficult for me to pick 11 for the matches. But still you cannot predict the outcome of the tournament."

"No team has dominated the World Cup and besides there are few under-19 competitions, so making predictions at this level of the game wouldn't be a wise thing to do."

Pakistan are in a group that has England, Nepal and Paupa New Guinea which on paper appears easy. However Haroon quickly rejected this. "All depends on a given day, the conditions, thetoss and various other factors, therefore no team can be underestimated."

"We are going into the tournament with high hopes and Godwilling would come back with good results."

The juniors who began target match practice from Monday are scheduled to play warm-up games against Zimbabwe and the Kiwis in New Zealand. "These matches should help us acclimatise well before the tournament gets under way."

Haroon said that the purpose of target match practice was to make the players aware of the pressures involved in an actual match. "We give a target of say 60 runs to the batting side to achieve in 15 overs preferably without losing a wicket. The bowlers are told to restrict them."