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Lawson hopes to prove a point

Geoff Lawson has admitted to taking over the running of the Pakistan team to "show people I can coach at that level"

Cricinfo staff
05-Aug-2007


Geoff Lawson: "To beat India in India, it's about ten Ashes series wrapped in one" © AFP
Geoff Lawson has admitted to taking over the running of the Pakistan team to "show people I can coach at that level". Lawson, who has been in charge of New South Wales, told the Sunday Telegraph he once had the ambition to mentor Australia, but he has switched goals in a bid to take Pakistan to the top.
"Coaching Australia I don't think is all that big a challenge, but coaching Pakistan certainly is," Lawson said. "If you really want to test your mettle as a coach I think it's elsewhere other than Australia.
"This is a challenge to make Pakistan the best cricket team they can be, and they can be No. 1. At the same time, there's some selfishness in it. I want to go out and show people I can coach at that level, but it's not necessarily a stepping stone anywhere."
Lawson plans to contact Greg Chappell, the former India coach, to discuss working in the subcontinent. Chappell struggled at times with the senior players and Lawson's predecessor Bob Woolmer also had some problems. "The Indian experience is a little different to Pakistan," Lawson said, "but I've got Greg on my list to call."
Pakistan travel to India in November and Lawson said it was the "biggest series of the decade". "Australia might be No.1 and to beat them would be fantastic," he said, "but to beat India in India, it's about ten Ashes series wrapped in one." Before the major examination Lawson will guide the team through a warm-up series in Kenya before the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September.