Shoaib's absence will not affect approach, says coach

DURBAN, South Africa, Sep 11 (Reuters) Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's absence will not affect Pakistan's approach in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, coach Geoff Lawson said today.

Shoaib was sent home on Friday after a dressing-room altercation with Mohammad Asif.

''It threatens to be less entertaining without Shoaib, probably, and certainly less interesting from the team's point of view,'' Lawson told a news conference.

''But we've got some outstanding fast bowlers in our squad.

It's not going to affect how we approach the game, our tactics will be the same.'' Lawson said Pakistan had moved on from their first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup, which will be remembered for the death of Lawson's predecessor, Bob Woolmer, in Jamaica.

''You've got to use the experience of what happened to you in your past but this group has drawn a line under that,'' Lawson said.

''They've prepared really well. They're responding to our fitness trainer fantastically and the attitude's great. Everyone's in the right frame of mind to move forward.'' New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said that mentally sharp teams would have an advantage in the tournament.

''There's not a lot of time to think but I think the guys who are able to predict scenarios in the game and also to think pretty quickly will play a role,'' Vettori said.

''The clock is running the whole time because you have to get your overs in, so the ability to stay on top of the game is going to be important.'' Durban will host its first games of the tournament tomorrow when New Zealand play Kenya and Pakistan take on Scotland.

REUTERS PDS BST2049