Pakistan bowling coach Ashley Noffke spoke about the team’s preparations for the upcoming tri-series and Asia Cup. He also talked about Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
When asked about training in the heat, Noffke said the bowlers are working hard to adjust. “Training is going well. We’ve had time to check out the conditions and it’s super hot so the guys are getting used to it,” he said.
“Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and the rest of the bowlers have been very honest about what they want to improve and what their strengths are. We’re trying to balance things out and the guys are improving. We’re building up nicely,” he added.
Weather favours pace in UAE
About whether UAE conditions favor spin or pace (since Pakistan likes fast bowlers and India went with spinners in the 2025 Champions Trophy), the former Australian cricketer said it depends on the pitches.
“Every pitch is different and how much cricket has been played on it matters. So it’s tough to say for sure. It seems like the coach and selectors are focusing a bit more on spin right now but that could change, he said. The conditions and pitches decide who plays. We want a squad that lets the coach, captain and selectors pick the best players for the day’s conditions.”
Shaheen Afridi took 5 wickets in a practice match recently and people are talking about how dangerous he is. The coach agreed but said they need to build a well rounded bowling unit.
“Yes he’s a threat for sure. His stats speak for themselves. That doesn’t mean he can’t get better to become the superstar he wants to be, he said. We don’t want to depend on just one bowler; we want four or five guys who can win games. That means sharing what we know, helping each other and always learning new tricks especially in T20 cricket.”
Emerging players can make impact
Noffke is excited about the new players like Salman Mirza and Hassan Nawaz and thinks they could make a big impact.
They’re exciting with the bat and ball. Young batters will mess up as they learn but that’s how they grow. Some of the bowlers might not be that young but they don’t have much experience in international cricket. We’ve seen Salman Mirza and Ahmed Daniyal come in and do well and we want more of that. Pakistan has a lot of talent and we want to show it off,” he said.
Is this Pakistan’s best team for the Asia Cup? “I’d say so. The selectors, captain and coach have put this team together because we think it’s the best one for the conditions,” he said.
Shaheen Afridi’s bowling
Talking about Shaheen Afridi’s bowling, Noffke said that swing mostly depends on the conditions but liked how Shaheen has improved.
Swing is weather dependent. It’s humid now and the ball is swinging because there’s no breeze. It doesn’t always happen but we want Shaheen to keep practicing, either bringing the ball in or taking it away. He’s very dangerous when he attacks the stumps, especially when he swings the ball into right-handers. He’s been working really hard on that.
He also talked about the concerns about Shaheen’s pace since he came back from his injury.
He knows his pace dropped after his big injury and he knows it takes time to get it back. During the West Indies series we started to see him bowl more deliveries in the 140s which is a good sign. His pace is coming back and what’s more important he’s getting more confident, he said.
