Personally I enjoy good spicy food, I am definitely not a chicken Biriyani fan! I do enjoy tandoori chicken and chicken tikka. I like Navratan Korma, Kuchumber salad, Garlic Nan.

PakPassion.Net: Personal Life and fitting into an alien culture
Bob Woolmer: I have little problem fitting in to a new culture as I am used to that culture having been born in India and also living in Karachi when I was 11 years old. There are parts o fteh culture which I believe need reassessing but essentially all people should be allowed a choice to do what they want to do.

PakPassion.Net: Does he feel that his safety has ever been threatened while he has been in Pakistan?
Bob Woolmer: Not at all, there is always a threat in most parts of the world where some extremeists are threatening our everyday way of life. I do not and cannot agree with the use of violence and those that use religion to justify there ideals are both sick and misguided. In fact life is here to be lived we only spend a small time on this world anyway and life is not eternal for the individual. We should try and make life better for each other!

PakPassion.Net: What's his favourite curry?
Bob Woolmer: Personally I enjoy good spicy food, I am definitely not a chicken Biriyani fan! I do enjoy tandoori chicken and chicken tikka. I like Navratan Korma, Kuchumber salad, Garlic Nan.

PakPassion.Net: Coaching Background
Bob Woolmer: This is rather a naieve question as it is well documented. However I will try and skim through it. I started coaching as early as 1968 taking my courses at Sevenoaks indoor scholl under Harry Crabtree and at Lilleshall. I taught and coached all sports at Holmewood House school just outside Tunbridge Wells and also coached at 4 Afrikaans primary schools in 1970/71. I also coache from 1973 -1976 at Natal University and in 1981 at Avendale cricket club, also 1987 with Kent Count cricket club I was captain of the 2nd XI. In 1998 I coached Boland cricket and and in 1991 Warwickshire, I then went on to Coach South africa in 1994 back to Warwickshire in 2000 I joined the ICC as High Performance manager coaching Kenya, canada, Namibia and Holland and then to Pakistan in 2005.
I also have coached youngsters in cape Town since 1995 and I also lead the Level 4 module in England having coached the batting module since 2000.

PakPassion.Net: This isn't a question specific to Pakistani cricket but I'd be interested to hear any advice Bob might have for any aspiring coaches. What avenues are available for a youngster who hasn't been involved in the first-class game as a player, I know I can go and attend ECB coaching courses at Edgbaston but after that what would a person need to do to climb onto the coaching ladder?
Bob Woolmer: It is important to get qualified first and then coach at any level, preferably start young to cut your teeth and then slowly if you are good you will automatically go to higher levels, the higher you go the tougher it will become. Coaching however is a vocation not a way of making a livng, if you get paid to do the job it is a bonus.

PakPassion.Net: Your thoughts on the level of coaching skills at the domestic level - how can it be improved ?
Bob Woolmer: Knowledge is quite good but coaching skills are poor getting the message across is the biggest problem. All local coaches should make an effort to qualify themselves, there is so much opportunity in Pakistan.

PakPassion.Net: We hear a lot about fitness paramaters in your team. Can you elaborate on these paramaters for a batsmen, spinner and a fast bowler in terms of cardio, flexibility, BMI etc.
Bob Woolmer: For years fitness in asian cricket has been of minor importance and slowly other countries have pulled past Pakistan and India in performance because they are stronger and fitter, faster and more atheltic. This has nulklified Pakistan and India have relied on talent for too long and they need to catch up. If I were to explain teh fitness parameters simply. There are levels of aerobic and anaerobic levels, Upper body and stomach, leg strength and speed. All these are important to catch up to teh Australia's and South Africa's of the world. The biggest example of how fitness can improve your game is Fredddie Flintoff.
Coaching Pakistan
Very enjoyable, with plenty of potential, very different but also challenging. There is an abundance of talet at domestic level but only a few have the real ability to get through. It is important "if you want to be the best to do more than the rest"

PakPassion.Net: Before the 1996 World Cup, when you were still coach of SA, you had an interview with Neil Manthorp (I still have the article), in which you stated that the way to beat Pakistan is to go at them with the "machine-gun" approach to fielding, ie, expose their lack of fitness and to agitate their "famously fragile temperaments"....
Bob Woolmer: That was quite correct and we did that very successfully now it my job to make that avenue a no go area

PakPassion.Net: We know that you have been working on the fielding and fitness....What are you doing about those "famously fragile temperaments"?, seeing as you told your previous team to exploit it....
Bob Woolmer: By making them stronger and fitter that will help by giving them a sense of purpose and by making them stand up to challenges by improving tech nique.

PakPassion.Net: Can you possibly summarise your routine and duties before and during a match such as the day before and morning of the match, after close of play etc? As fans we just get to see the action when the game or days play start but would be nice to know how you build up and some of your preparationa ctivities and rituals.
Bob Woolmer:  The match preparation starts two days before the game. I try to create an environment where each individual feels he is well prepared for the game. This means making sure that the facilities are well prepared. We look at the opposition carefully and try and bowl the ball in the areas that we would have most success against each player.

I try and make sure that the players are calm and confident going into the game.

PakPassion.Net: How would you describe the Cricket Facilites in Pakistan as opposed to the rest of the world and is this fast improving?
Bob Woolmer: They vary from stadium to stadium , they are improving but there is much room for improvement. Better netting would help but all in all teh pitches are fantastic for batting usually.

PakPassion.Net: Which cricket stadium do you think is the best in Pakistan in terms of pitch quality, atmosphere, facilities etc??????.
Bob Woolmer: Not easy to answer but Lahore is good with teh Academy. Multan is a lovely facility. Essentially the stadiums are pretty good but it is the attention to detail that could be better.

PakPassion.Net: The England Series
Bob Woolmer: A very tough series, it would be crazy not to believe that we cannot give England a run for there money, but we will have to play better than we have done in the past. there are signs we can do better but we have to make a sizeable leap to beat them.

PakPassion.Net: Do you feel think that the lack of crowds effect the teams performances in test matches? When you look at the crowds in the Ashes getting behind the England team and spuring them on to victory you must wish that it happens in Pakistan too. It could be a huge boost for your boys if the public got behind the team.
Bob Woolmer: Our crowds in Pakistan like most in teh world like a successful team, however they also respond to a team that gives it's all. I hope they do not read the negative members of teh press like Waheed Khan as he and his lot cannot find anything good about theteam. The bottom line is that we should be looking to get our act together Engalnd have teh Barmy army and we need the **** Passion to compete on a level playing field.

PakPassion.Net: Do you agree with David Lloyd that Flintoff is the "best" in the world at present, and can you see him playing a bigger role than peiterson in the series against us.
Bob Woolmer: Flintoff is playing at the best of his game and he is now a leading all rounder he bowls quickly and hits the ball hard, he makes a difference to the team but it is a tough role to sustain.

PakPassion.Net: saqlain mustaq.29 years old.Why can't he work with your therapists in lahore?That way you can not only monitor his progress but also have a better idea on when to include him in the squad.He is still too good a talent to waste.
Bob Woolmer: He can work with teh therapists but I am not sure how we could pick him at the moment.

PakPassion.Net: Vision for the future
Bob Woolmer: I like to stay in the now but keep in mind the future. Imporatntly we must look to get better every day. We also have to look as to the replacements for the older generation in the team, something that we do no really have. Only Inzy is over 32.

PakPassion.Net: I would like to ask BW what he thinks of the domestic cricket structure in Pakistan and what if any improvements he thinks could be made?
Bob Woolmer: I reckon that the system is getting better but the real need is to create similar structures to those of other countries. Like County Vloubs or state associations so that the regional teams have a structure which will help them grow.

PakPassion.Net: whats the deal with Hasan Raza. Would you rate him as the best batting prospect in Pakistan right now?
Bob Woolmer: There is no deal with Hassan, however he has made a atatement to us and the selectors so I am sure that he will be under serious consideration for the new season.

PakPassion.Net: From what he has seen of the up and coming players in Pakistan, does he think Pakistan cricket has a bright future in terms of the next 10 years or so?
Bob Woolmer: There is an abundance of talent and there is a need to craete a sound structure to improve these tyoung players. two palyer who have impressed me are mansoor Amjhad and Shahid Yousouf.

PakPassion.Net: Pick 5 uncapped players from the domestic circuit which you think have a bright future as far as pakistan cricket is concerned and why?
Bob Woolmer: Mansoor Amjhad, Shahid Yousouf, Zulquernain Haider, Yasir Arafat, Shahid nazir, Mohammed Asif

PakPassion.Net: why can't we improve the pitches in pakistan?Faster,greener,bouncy and spinning pitches can sort the boys from the men.
Bob Woolmer: I haven't looked into this aspect but I am sure it boils down to the pitch soil and its clay content. More like England tahn Australia. We have soil with 43% clay while Australia has a clay content of 76% plus. Gives more bounce

PakPassion.Net: When will Pakistan start playing 5-test series? It seems like the teams who play them more often are the better test sides - and not without reason. Pakistan needs to start doing that if they want to get good in tests.
Bob Woolmer: I personally feel we should play India every two years home and away in a five test match series and the winner runs Kashmir for that period (instead of voting!). that would create some incentive! I am being facietious we should craete a mystique that represents the sub-continent "Ashes".