Birmingham [UK], September 7 (ANI): Pakistan’s newly appointed Test bowling coach Ashley Noffke has opened up on the uncertainty within the squad following the team’s sudden shake-up, saying he and interim head coach Mike Hesson are focused on creating a positive environment ahead of the series finale against England.
Hesson and Noffke took charge after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul back home last week as Pakistan made drastic changes to their Test set-up ahead of the third and final Test against England from September 9, also replacing almost half of their squad following heavy defeats in the first two Tests against Three Lions.
PCB released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad after the loss at Lord's. In their place, Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.
The PCB roped in Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan's white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach, respectively.
Speaking at a press conference, Noffke said the situation was unusual, but he and Mike Hesson were focused on bringing positivity. He acknowledged uncertainty among the players but praised their calm response, adding that one-on-one discussions helped them express their concerns and refocus on the job.
"It doesn't happen very often and from Mike and my perspective, all we can do is come and add positivity. There's obviously a feeling of uncertainty [in the players] but also they've just got back on the job. I've been really impressed with the level of calmness that they've taken over the couple of days once we've given them time to talk. We've done that in one-on-one scenarios where they can talk to the head coach, the bowlers can talk with me, and they can get things off their chest and then move forward," he said as quoted by Cricinfo.
Noffke highlighted Pakistan’s revamped pace attack as a key area of uncertainty, with the team adding more pace and variety through uncapped bowlers Razaullah and Mohammad Imran. He praised Razaullah and Ubaid Shah for their performances in training, while stressing the importance of balancing aggression with disciplined lengths depending on pitch conditions. He also backed experienced pacer Abbas and said the new bowlers were settling in well and showing plenty of enthusiasm.
"They [the new bowlers] have pace, which is a value-add. Mike said in previous interviews it's about providing some balance to our attack. We've got a left-armer there available for selection in Imran Jnr. And Razaullah is a right-arm bowler with a slightly different action and good pace so it's about providing some stability around those guys that have been doing the heavy lifting for us. Abbas is obviously amazing through this series and we need to support him as best we can,” he said.
"Razaullah and Ubaid bowled really nicely. The wickets are helping though, so it's all about finding balance between when the wicket isn't helping and when it is, so the lengths that we bowl, being able to pitch the ball a little bit fuller without floating up a half volley. They're going really well and they're keen, they're smiling," he added.
Noffke said that, based on his experience with Pakistan’s white-ball team, there is often uncertainty surrounding the side, much of which is beyond the players’ control. He urged the players to focus on their cricket and highlighted the opportunities available to the talented young players in the squad.
"One thing that I've learnt about being in Pakistan and coaching for a period of time, nearly 15 months now with the white-ball team. There's always something going on in the background, and whether or not it's in or out of our control, and I think most of the time it's out of the player's control, they need to focus on the cricket that they have in front of them. There's some really great opportunities here for young cricketers that are highly skilled," he said.
Notably, the changes that PCB made came after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. (ANI)
“There's obviously a feeling of uncertainty”: Pakistan’s newly appointed Test bowling coach reflects on squad shake-up
