Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer blasted his batsmen on Sunday after the West Indies sealed a convincing 276-run victory with more than a day to spare, calling the team’s first innings performance ”spineless”.
Woolmer said the catalyst for the defeat was Pakistan being bowled out for 144 in their first innings.
”I thought we were spineless on that particular day with our batting,” he said.
”It’s something we’ll address in the next few days.”
Pakistan, overnight 113 for four in their second innings, were out for 296 just after lunch on day four despite 122 from Shahid Afridi. The two-Test series resumes with the final Test scheduled to start in Jamaica on Friday.
”It’s not like the guys are out of form. They have been playing well,” added Woolmer, a former England batsman. ”It’s just that they got themselves out very stupidly. There seemed [to be] no spirit, no fight at the crease which is surprising really.”
Woolmer acknowledged a dressing room incident involving two players, saying it may have deflated the team to an extent. The Pakistan media has reported that Afridi and captain Younis Khan argued on the Test’s first day, apparently because Afridi was upset about his placement in the batting order.
”It was all over the Pakistan press, who made a mountain out of a molehill,” Woolmer said.
”That might have affected them psychologically, but there is no excuse really to go out there and play the way they played.”
Both Woolmer and West Indies coach Bennett King acknowledged that the loss of Pakistan’s two leading batsmen, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, weakened the visitors.
Inzamam was serving a one-match, International Cricket Council ban while Youhana flew home to Pakistan on Thursday to be with his ill father.
”It was a bonus for us to have two world-class players not in their side and we’re under no illusions that they could be back for the next Test,” King said.
The victory was the first for King in his fifth Test in charge of the West Indies, which had also lost eight one-day matches in a row before this match.
”It’s quite relieving I guess,” the 40-year-old Australian said.
”The boys have really worked hard and deserve to win today,” said King.
”I don’t think we’re there yet and my smiles doesn’t mask the hard work that we still have to put in,” King added. – Sapa-AP