LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended the contracts of batting coach Grant Flower and trainer Grant Luden for one year on the recommendation of newly-appointed head coach Mickey Arthur.

Both Flower and Luden have been working on their respective posts since July 2014 and their contracts were about to expire.

The Pakistan team has been struggling in both batting and fitness departments since last many years, especially in the shorter versions of the game.

Arthur, , who signed a two-year contract as head coach of the Pakistan team in June this year, has already expressed that one of his main worries was Pakistan’s incapacity to perform outside of Asia. And as Pakistan has to play some tough cricket ahead in England, Australia and New Zealand, the head coach decided not to experiment with the team management at the moment.

The PCB had even organised a fitness camp for the Pakistan team at the Pakistan Military Academy following their shameful performance at Asia Cup and World Twenty20.

Arthur had also requested the PCB to appoint former Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as bowling coach but that request was turned down by the PCB as it wanted to appoint former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood.

As Azhar was not relieved by his English county, the PCB was left with no choice but to hand over the responsibility to Mushtaq.

The former leggie will remain with the Pakistan team for the four Test series and after that Azhar will take over as bowling coach for the ODI series.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2016