Pakistan bowling coach Ashley Noffke reveals Shaheen Afridi is in good shape ahead of the Asia Cup. The pacer has recovered well after a back injury. He was not included in the squad for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in July. Pakistan won the series 3-0.
The coach acknowledged the improvements in Afridi’s performance in the recently concluded white-ball series against the West Indies. “In terms of pace, he is aware it has dropped and he has experienced a dip in form.”
He felt that the bowler’s confidence level is going up, “Recovering pace takes time, but we’re building nicely now. We’ve started seeing more balls in the 140 kmph 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.”
Besides the usual, Afridi has been working on swinging the ball, says Noffke. “I think swing can be influenced by the environment and conditions on the day. The ball sometimes swings and sometimes doesn’t.”
The bowling coach said that certain things will be left to Afridi. It will depend on whether he wants to do those.
“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,” he mentioned.
While warning the opponents, Noffke says, “We’ve seen how dangerous he is when the ball swings into the right-hander and he’s been working heavily on that lately.”
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