Pakistan bowling coach Ashley Noffke has revealed what he believes to be the reason behind Shaheen Afridi’s recent struggles in the international arena, and he has expressed that the seasoned pacer still has more gears to unlock despite being widely regarded as the country’s premier fast bowler.
Shaheen, who had a sublime PSL this year, faced a rare setback earlier in the summer when he was overlooked for back-to-back T20I series against Bangladesh. At the time, new head coach Mike Hesson made it clear the left-armer had areas to address in his bowling.
The 25-year-old, however, responded with six wickets across Pakistan’s white-ball series against the West Indies. That showing was enough to secure his place in the squad for the upcoming tri-series in the UAE and the Asia Cup next month.
Speaking after Pakistan’s training session in Dubai, Ashley Noffke commented on Shaheen Afridi’s challenge of rediscovering his top pace following the knee injury that sidelined him in 2023. According to Noffke, the signs are now more encouraging.
“He knows his speed dipped after the injury, and recovery takes time. But against the West Indies, we saw more balls in the 140s again. That’s a very good sign,” he noted.
After consistently hitting the mid-140s kph during his heyday, the left-armer’s pace has gradually dropped to an average speed of 134.5 kph, with only 4% of his deliveries touching the 140 mark this year. However, with his own self-dedication and a coach eager to help him, the signs of his bowling speed picking back up are positive.
While praising Shaheen Afridi’s strike power, the Australian stressed there was no room for complacency.
“You can assume he’s a threat, and he is a threat. His numbers speak for themselves,” Noffke said. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have things to work on if he wants to become the superstar he’s aiming to be.”
The coach revealed that much of the current focus is on Shaheen Afridi’s ability to swing the ball, which was his trademark for most of his career.
“He’s very dangerous when the ball comes back in. We want him to make swing, both ways, a real weapon again,” Noffke added.
Shaheen Afridi will be crucial to Pakistan’s ambitions during the upcoming tri-series and the 2025 Asia Cup. At his very best, the 25-year-old is a cheat code against opening batters, and it is now up to him to deliver those results for Pakistan once more.
The first test of his form will begin against Afghanistan on Friday in Sharjah, and if he can show a glimpse of his previous self, Pakistan will go into the Asia Cup riding high on confidence.