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Woolmer enraged at Pak's defeat
Defending champion crashed to 122 all out after the top order collapsed playing irresponsible shots against an accurate Lankan attack.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer became enraged as he watched his batsmen enter a self-destructive mood on Wednesday in a shattering seven-wicket Asia Cup defeat to Sri Lanka.
Defending champion Pakistan crashed to 122 all out, its lowest One-Day score against Sri Lanka and the lowest in eight Asia Cup tournaments, after the top order collapsed playing irresponsible shots against an accurate attack.
"We inflicted our dismissals ... it was a perfect batting strip. I will have a word with the boys about this," a dismayed Woolmer told reporters after the match.
Woolmer, a former England test cricketer who became a successful coach of the South African squad, took charge of the Pakistan team shortly before the Asia Cup.
Pakistan cricket was in turmoil after losing both the home One-Day and Test series to India in March-April. It was India's first full tour by India in 14 years.
Woolmer said he was infuriated by the way skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and vice captain Yousuf Youhana got out on Wednesday in one over from ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who had just been introduced into the attack.
Inzamam was bowled off his legs as he stepped out to loft Muralitharan, while Youhana was run out by Tillekeratne Dilshan as he tapped the ball to silly point and took one step out of the crease.
"Inzamam kicked the ball on to the stumps and Youhana tried to take a single at silly point, which I've never seen," Woolmer said. The coach said opener Imran Nazir was out giving catching practice to the slip fielders and Younis Khan played too early at an out-swinger, which resulted in a catch at gully.
Woolmer said all the dismissals, except that of tailender Mohammad Sami, were self-inflicted.
"There are no excuses. I won't say we were disorganized, but as a coach I have to find out what went wrong, because the preparation was good," he said.
"The question is why. We need to find that out and must win the two remaining super league matches to stay in the tournament," he said.
But Woolmer said Pakistan's pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Sami and Shabbir Ahmed provided a silver lining in the gloomy performance. "I'm really impressed with the bowling, all three pacers bowled very well. If I was a batsman, I wouldn't have liked to be in the middle," he said.
Pakistan next plays archrival India, which defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in another second round match on Wednesday, in a key contest on Sunday. That match will determine if Pakistan can entertain hopes of making the Asia Cup final.
Low-ranked Bangladesh will be Pakistan's last second round league opponent, but this match could provide it a chance to boost the run-rate in case of a three-way tie on points.
"Sri Lanka got one bonus point from us. We now need to win with bonus points in the remaining two matches," said Woolmer. Pakistan's game against India has been causing immense interest among cricket fans, reviving the arch rivalry between the two nations that were created on independence from British colonial India in 1947.
On Tuesday, before the start of the second round matches, Woolmer said Pakistan's cricket fans were desperate for a win over India to avenge the bitter home series defeat.
Woolmer said he was looking at the whole tournament, but there was a big desire "to redress the home series loss" that had upset the whole of Pakistan.
