Shoaib Akhtar’s spectacular run-up — charging down the pitch from far with a flowing mane and smouldering eyes — will be missing at the upcoming Asia Cup with new Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer asking the speedsters to cut down their run-ups in the one-dayers. Woolmer, who spent a week with Pakistan’s Asia Cup probables in a camp in Lahore, concentrated on shortening the run-ups of Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul for the one-day version of the sport. “Shoaib in particular has become very comfortable with his shortened run-up which he will use in the Asia Cup,” team manager Haroon Rashid was quoted as saying in The News. “Woolmer’s concept is that in a version of the game that is tailor-made for the batsmen, this is the best way for the bowlers to conserve their energy,” he said. The Pakistan team has been saddled with problems due to the fast bowlers’ frequent overstepping at the crease along with its slow over-rate in one-dayers. “Woolmer believes that nowadays one-day cricket is scripted for batsmen and for big totals, so it is better for bowlers to concentrate on line and length and conserve energy by using shorter run-ups without losing too much of their sting,” Rashid said. He said Woolmer had given this facet of the game a lot of attention because he felt that Pakistani bowlers lost their focus and came under pressure when pitted in a race against time to complete overs in one-dayers.
