Shaheen Afridi for Pakistan (Source:@ESPNcricinfo/X.com)
Shaheen Afridi has been a premier bowler for Pakistan since the time he made his debut in 2018. However, of late, he has been in and out of the Pakistan team and has not looked at his best.
Now, with the tri-series in the UAE and the Asia Cup coming up, the onus will be on Shaheen Afridi to deliver and take Pakistan to greater heights again. Now, Ashley Noffke, the Pakistan bowling coach in his conversation with ICC has opened up on Shaheen Afridi's struggles in the recent past and how he is getting into his best for the Asia Cup.
Pakistan Bowling Coach Opens Up On Shaheen Afridi's Progress
Noffke mentioned that Shaheen Afridi is aware that he his pace has dropped and he has also been out of form. He added that rebuilding it takes time and felt that there were good signs in the Caribbean, where he bowled plenty of deliveries over 140 KPH.
Therefore, according to the Pakistan bowling coach, Shaheen Afridi is on his way to back and the confidence is growing with each passing series. He added that there are some technical things which need to be addressed and Shaheen Afridi is working on it.
"In terms of pace, he is aware it has dropped and he has experienced a dip in form. Recovering pace takes time, but we’re building nicely now. We’ve started seeing more balls in the 140km/h range during the West Indies series. "He’s definitely on his way back and his confidence is growing. There’s a bit of technique, mindset and a good release point involved, all of which are crucial for bowlers presenting their best,"Ashley Noffke told ICC.
Noffke Shares His Views On Shaheen Afridi's Trademark Swing
Noffke also opened up on Shaheen Afridi's swing and added that it depends on conditions. However, he added that they want him to work on his swing and whether it swings in or out, it is the bowler's choice.
The Australian, though, made it clear that they want Shaheen Afridi to target the stumps consistently, as everyone knows how dangerous he can be with that late-inswinger to the right-hander.
"I think swing can be influenced by the environment and conditions on the day. The ball sometimes swings and sometimes doesn’t. From my perspective, he (Afridi) won’t swing the ball every game, but we want him to work on that ability to swing the ball". Whether it swings in or out is his choice, but we want him to consistently challenge the stumps. We’ve seen how dangerous he is when the ball swings into the right-hander and he’s been working heavily on that lately."
Thus, the Pakistan bowling coach has expressed confidence in Shaheen Afridi and his ability to make a big impact in the upcoming Asia Cup. The cricketer has done well in the Asia Cup in past and would be hoping to get back to his best in the tri-series before the continental tournament.
