PCB extend contract for Grant Flower and Grant Luden

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had decided to extend the contract of their batting coach Grant Flower and their fitness trainer Grant Luden for one more year as per the advice from the head coach Mickey Arthur.

The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that the contracts will be further extended for one more year. There was a possibility that the newly appointed coach, Arthur might for having a new coaching staff but he insisted on continuing with them and also brought in a new fielding coach in Steve Rixon from Australia. Arthur’s contract is also for one year.

With Flower’s appointment, Pakistan witnessed a great improvement in their batting and their hunger for runs had also gone high. Pakistan’s average runs per wicket were just 28.89 between January 2012 and February 2014. Whereas after the appointment of Flower in July 2014, it has raised to 43.82.

Pakistan also made their highest successful chase in Test cricket in this period. Under Flower, Pakistan’s fourth innings average run scoring has also gone higher.

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Pakistan is about to commence their long series against England and Mohammad Amir is making his comeback into Test cricket at Lords, where he played his last Test match before being handed a 5-year ban. There has been a lot of talk among how the Lords crowd are going to deal with the left-arm seamer, who bowled no-balls intentionally in 2010.

Flower had earlier said that he believes Mohammad Amir will have to face some abuse from the crowd at the Lord’s cricket ground. “There will probably be some abuse from crowds,” the former Zimbabwe batsman said. “Well, he shouldn’t have done it in the first place so it’s his own fault. If he gets that stick he’s got to deal with it.”