Pakistan Fast-Track Coaching Programme: Focus shifts from reverse swing to using the new ball

Changes made in accordance with ICC’s new regulation.

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Fast-Track Coaching Programme kicked off today and will be looking to shift the bowlers’ focus from reverse swing to using the new ball more effectively after the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) new regulation of using two new balls from each end.

The ICC executive committee in its recently-held annual meeting in Hong Kong recommended restricting the elective Powerplays to between the 16th and 40th over of each innings and also directed the use of two new balls per innings – one from each end – changes that will come into effect from October this year.

The ongoing PCB Fast-Track Coaching Programme is providing training to the country’s top bowlers and batsmen under the supervision of former fast-bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz and batsman Mohsin Khan and Ijaz Ahmed.

“While on international tours, players do not have enough time to address the flaws in their technique with the coaches individually,” PCB’s Game and Development Director Intikhab Alam told reporters.

“So availing the spare time, we have organised this programme to dig into the players’ techniques and help them make crucial improvements.

“On the first day in the morning session, we had lectures on various topics that included anti-corruption, anti-doping, discipline and attitude,” added Alam. “And in the evening session, we had both coaches and players working together one-on-one in a bid to enhance their skill level with the help of video analysis.”

A shift in focus

Meanwhile, Nawaz emphasised that the programme will be focusing on the bowlers improving their use of the new ball to the best of their abilities, keeping in mind ICC’s new regulation where bowlers will have to use the new ball far more frequently.

“The idea is to let the bowlers understand the use of a new ball with more authority which is more lethal than the reverse swing these days,” added Nawaz.

“So I think we have to learn how to use the ball with more authority and not just rely on reverse swing. We have to bring about a transition in the thinking of the bowlers who have been relying too much on reverse swing, ignoring the other important techniques of making the bowl swing.

“But I am here to instruct them all to enhance their ability.”

PCB defers ‘home series’

The Pakistan Cricket Board, (PCB) in response to a request received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, has decided to defer the Bangladesh U-19 team’s tour to Pakistan, scheduled for this month. No further dates have been announced, however, the PCB claimed that the “series will now be held at a later date to be decided by the two boards mutually”.

The PCB have been struggling to find support from the full member boards in reviving international cricket in Pakistan, given the security concern in the region.  Pakistan has not hosted any of the ICC full member teams since the attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in 2009. However, Afghanistan made the first trip to the country earlier this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2011.