da lvbet： Younis Khan and Bob Woolmer have admitted that they were “very disappointed” with the events that led to a couple of their players testing positive for banned substances
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Jaipur16-Oct-2006
‘I’m pretty confident that the team will take any adversity in their stride and they’ll rise to the occasion and play good cricket tomorrow’ – Woolmer © Getty Images
Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, and Bob Woolmer, their coach, haveadmitted that they were “very disappointed” with the events that led to acouple of their players testing positive for banned substances, addingthat they would have to accept part of the responsibility for the same.Both refused to divulge too many details but said that the team couldn’tafford to be bogged down by this setback, especially before their crucialChampions Trophy opener against Sri Lanka tomorrow in Jaipur. Younis, while denyingspeculation about a third player coming under the scanner, admitted that thenews had come as a jolt but hoped that his team could pick themselves upand raise their game in tomorrow’s clash.Interestingly it was Woolmer who’d mooted the idea of testing players fordrugs – when the ICC officially instituted random dope tests for theChampions Trophy. “I instituted the idea of having our players tested fordrugs to try and obviate anything that might happen at a particular venueor tournament,” he told the media in Jaipur. “So we asked the medicalpanel to give the players drug tests – which they did at the end ofSeptember. So I take responsibility for that.”This is the first time that drug testing is officially instituted by theICC,” he continued. “Therefore we thought we’ll pre-empt that by having tosee what the players were doing. In a coach’s life, you prepare. The teamplays on the field, but you try to prepare the team. You try and make theenvironment to the best it can be, you try and give the players the bestopportunity you can. So what we need to do is to test our players – infact 25 players were tested – and unfortunately, the timing was not right,but there we are. If it’s going to happen, it happens.”However, he refused to be drawn into discussion about the exact reasonbehind the players taking banned substances. “I’ve been involved withProfessor Tim Noakes at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town on theseparticular issues,” he continued, “and I do understand what happens. Theimportant thing is that the Pakistan Cricket Board will make a statement and let’s leave it at that for now.”Younis, who clarified that the delay in sending the results of the testsmeant the news broke on the eve of their first game, echoed the sameviewpoint. “In today’s situation, players take any small thing and itturns out to be a banned substance,” he said. “It’s all our responsibility- players, management. Hopefully it won’t happen again.”For a team that’s been shrouded in controversy over the last three months,the Champions Trophy couldn’t have got off to a more inauspicious start.Yet, Woolmer had no doubt that they would “rise to the challenge”.”We haven’t discussed this as a team yet as the events have happened veryquickly from yesterday to this morning,” Woolmer reflected. “We will besitting down with the team this evening and will chat it through. I’mpretty confident that the team will take any adversity in their stride andthey’ll rise to the occasion and play good cricket tomorrow. We have toput these issues behind us, as we have with all the other issues and get onwith playing cricket, because that’s our job, that’s what we’re paid to doand that’s what we have to do. We’ll make it very clear that we’re goingto go out there and fight very hard. It’s very important for us to try andgain two points against Sri Lanka tomorrow.”It’s been a tough few months for Woolmer, who’s had to experienceconsiderable turbulence as the Pakistan coach. He admitted that it was aunique journey – when asked if he thought about quitting the job – addingthat his love for the game was keeping him going. “There are a lot ofthings that go through your mind when these things happen,” he explainedemotionally. “One thing that holds me is that I love the game of cricket.I’ll be more excited tomorrow to get on the field and play some cricket. Iwill be honest – I haven’t come across anything like this in my life, itwill be a wonderful experience for me, it is a wonderful experience forme. It’s difficult to understand why it’s happening but it is happening,and therefore I have to deal with it as it happens. But I enjoy cricket, Ilove cricket and cricket is my first passion and only passion. I do thisjob because of that reason so whatever happens, happens.”