Pakistan extend batting coach Grant Flower’s contract until 2017

PAK extend batting coach Grant Flower's contract until 2017

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) extends the contracts of batting coach Grant Flower and fitness trainer Grant Luden based on the advice of head coach Mickey Arthur. Flower and Luden had extended contracts in July 2014 and are on three-month extended contracts already. Now the contracts have been extended for year. There was a possibility of Arthur suggesting a new coaching staff but he endorsed the duo and also brought in a new fielding coach in Steve Rixon from Australia. Now the entire coaching staff have extended their contracts for a year, apart from Azhar Mahmood, who will join Pakistan team as bowling coach only for limited-overs tour of England. Arthur’s contract is also subject to one year contract with one- year extension subject to performance. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England 2016, 1st Test at Lord’s 

Earlier, Pakistan’s batting had been major weakness and PCB had turned to their former cricketers Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas, as reported on ESPNcricinfo.com. But with appointment of Flower, Pakistan has witnessed considerable improvements from batting perspective. Under him, Pakistan batsmen have converted 48.43% of half-centuries into centuries – 31 hundreds out of 64 50-plus scores – which is the most among all teams by a distance. South Africa and Australia are next with under 41% conversions.

Pakistan’s highest run-chase last year was in Pallekele when they scored 282, that was the highest successful Test chase. With Luden as fitness manager, Pakistan have prioritised on fitness, however he has been stripped off from responsibility of fielding coach with inclusion of Rixon. Mushtaq Ahmed is traveling with the team as a makeshift bowling coach only for the Tests in England.