SHARJAH, 11 October — Pakistan coach Richard Pybus is disappointed with his team’s failure to win the first Test against Australia in Colombo, but believes the series is now psychologically nicely balanced. In a candid interview, the South African-based Pybus who is now in his fourth term as Pakistan coach, a unique achievement by any means, said he was disappointed at the first Test loss when the team was in a position to win it.
“But there are positive aspects to come out of the Test. Some of the performances of the youngsters in particular Taufeeq Umar and Faisal Iqbal who batted really well against a quality attack.
“I think Shoaib is starting to regain match fitness and he showed what a potent force he is specially in the second innings. So that was very exciting and I think very good for the side to have Saqlain back in.” Pybus said he just wanted Saqlain to settle in and get comfortable. “The more he bowled the better he bowled. I think in the second innings he started to really look like the old Saqlain. He started to play with his length and angles.
“With such positives I have something to look forward to in the next two Tests. Because I think Shoaib and Saqlain posed questions which some of the Australians now are going to have time to think about,” he added.
The foreign coach who has faced a lot of criticism back home stressed that one of the objectives to come out of this series was obviously to beat Australia come to finishing of the third Test and added the team have two big matches in front of them.
On the absence of Inzamam, Youhanna, Wasim and Saeed from the series, he said obviously one missed such experienced players. “But they are not here so you can’t legislate for it. But I think for the youngsters in the team this series is a bit of a litmus test for them. “I am very happy with the performance of Taufeeq and Faisal, they have the pure potential to perform, and they have proved that when you play attack such as the Australians to bat as well as they did, it means they have arrived in Test cricket. Where they go from here is actually up to them the next level is to be consistent,” he said.
Pybus pointed out that not many people gave Pakistan much of a chance to win when they looked at the experience of the Australians and where they are in Test cricket.
“But we have some key players and they are experienced and if they can guide youngsters through difficult situations. I think the youngsters in Pakistan have a broad range of skills and one has to balance out that with experience.
He had no doubt with quality spinners like Shane Warne and Saqlain and an exciting prospect in Danish Kaneria and both teams having aggressive batters the spinners will have a big part to play in Sharjah.
He made it clear that there would be different permutations for the side in Sharjah and that would be according to conditions there.
He also defended the decision to send Abdur Razzaq at number three, pointing out it was an effort to stabilize the order where they are trying to mix youth with experience. “Again it is testing us and we are having to find solutions for it.
He said one of the positives about Razzaq was that he plays the new ball very well. And that is a big bonus.
On the rebuilding process of the team, he said outside of looking to beat Aussies in the series, the objective is to identity key players coming through who can perform key roles.
But Pybus warned that one had to be patient with this process. “It is not going to happen overnight. Some of these youngsters are going to fail and they are succeed. So we have to be patient with them we have to give them experience.” But he remained confident that in next couple of months, Pakistan would be able to identify a really tight test and one-day side out of these players.
Pybus also insisted that he and Waqar Younis have the full support of the selection committee.
“The committee when they are picking the squad it is obviously with input from us… I think that is the right way. I think you have to be very careful with the captain and coach willing to run the show totally because you lose objectivity.
Discussing the various controversies associated with him, he explained he had to do the best he can.
“And the only way I can is to actually focus on what we are doing, try to develop players to get a broader skill range to think better in tight situations.
“Every coach is going to be criticized. I don’t think there is anything different about my coming in to coach Pakistan and a Swede coming in to coach England in soccer. Sometimes it is healthier to have someone come in from outside. Because they don’t have any baggage.
“I certainly don’t have the issues which a Pakistan coach would have when he comes into the team.
He also insisted that the reason he came back is because he really enjoyed working with the Pakistani players.
On the criticism about his going back home after Sept. 11, he explained: “What people fail to remember is that I was purely contracted for that tour and when that tour was canceled I didn’t walk out on Pakistan cricket I returned home because of security reasons.
“And I was not going to return with the Afghan conflict going on apart from the fact that there was actually no cricket being played. The board had to appoint a coach and we were very amicable about it.
“But last year for instance in 2001 I came back of the back of a pretty heavy South African domestic and Waqar said why don’t you come and help us in England. I came over because I enjoy working with the guys. I am passionate about Pakistan cricket.
