Bowling coach Noffke says Pakistan's off-field issues are nothing new / Photo: Glyn KIRK - AFP
Bowling coach Noffke says Pakistan's off-field issues are nothing new
Bowling coach Ashley Noffke said on Monday there was "always something going on in the background" of Pakistan cricket after officials announced an investigation into the squad's conduct during their woeful tour of England.
Pakistan head into this week's third and final Test at Edgbaston desperately trying to avoid a whitewash after thumping defeats in the first two matches, at Headingley and Lord's.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took the extraordinary step of sending seven players home after the second Test and sacking Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, with white-ball boss Mike Hesson replacing him.
Noffke too has been drafted in from his limited-overs role to replace the axed Umar Gul as Pakistan's bowling coach.
Seven players have been added to the Test squad, five of whom have yet to make their Test debuts.
Amir Mir, the PCB's head of communications, announced earlier Monday that cricket chiefs had launched a probe.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally," he said.
Hesson, a former coach of his native New Zealand, said last week Pakistan's cricketers were used to "chaos".
Speaking after training at Edgbaston, the recently arrived Noffke agreed off-field issues in Pakistan cricket were nothing new.
"I sit outside that decision-making model above us as coaches," he said.
"We try to keep the players focused on what they need to worry about."
The former Australia international added: "I guess that's one thing I've learned about being in Pakistan and coaching for a period of time –- nearly 15 months with the white-ball team –- there's always something going on in the background, whether or not it's in or out of our control, and most of the time it's out of the players' control."
R.Weber--HHA
