'Dip in form...'- Pakistan coach gives prediction on Shaheen Shah Afridi's bowling ahead of Asia Cup 2025
Pakistan coach gives prediction on Shaheen Shah Afridi's bowling ahead of Asia Cup 2025.
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The bowling coach of the Pakistan side, Ashley Noffke, trusts that their premier pacer of the national side, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has slowly gathered pace and is ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. However, the left-arm pacer struggled to find rhythm since 2023 with a back issue, having been left out of the squad during their away three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.
The 25-year-old, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has overall picked up 104 wickets in 81 innings of the shortest format at an average of just over 22 and a strike rate of 16.9 with an economy rate of nearly eight. In the T20s, the left-arm pacer has grabbed 312 wickets in 223 innings at an average of 21.04 with an economy rate of 7.95.
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“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. There’s a bit of technique, mindset, and a good release point involved, all of which are crucial for bowlers presenting their best.” Noffke expressed ahead of the tri-series.
Ashley Noffke reflects on Shaheen Shah Afridi’s bowling before Asia Cup 2025
In Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan’s absence, Afridi will be an experienced member of the side. He will also have a huge role to play during the T20 World Cup 2024 in India and Sri Lanka, as the coach is aiming to work on his ability to swing the new ball during the busy schedule.
“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.” Pakistan’s bowling coach addressed this during a recent interaction.
“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.” Ashley Noffke concluded.
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