Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has faced challenges in the death overs recently, with his performances proving to be costly in the latter stages of the game, leading to concerns among cricket enthusiasts.

In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Umar Gul discussed the possible factors contributing to this struggle and mentioned that Shaheen is actively working on improving this aspect of his game.

“There are two reasons behind this. Firstly, he has been consistently playing T20Is for a long time now. Secondly, in the limited four overs, there are fewer opportunities for the ball to reverse swing in the death overs. Shaheen’s ability to handle the new ball and take wickets early on strengthens the team’s prospects. He lays the foundation that supports other bowlers as well. However, he needs to put in extra effort in the death overs and focus more in that area. There is always room for improvement, so he should strive to deliver equally impressive spells with the old ball as he does with the new ball,” Gul stated.

Gul, 40 years old, also highlighted that Shaheen’s recent injury might have played a role, but he is committed to performing well both at the beginning and in the death overs.

“Shaheen made a comeback after his injury and played in the series against New Zealand, so that could be a contributing factor. I hope he remains fit for the Asia Cup because he is our main bowler. I had a discussion with him about this concern, and he realizes the importance of focusing on both the new and old ball. The concern is valid, and he must work on his capacity in the death overs,” Gul further added.

Gul recently served as Pakistan’s interim bowling coach for the series against Afghanistan and New Zealand, stepping in for Morne Morkel, who was engaged in IPL commitments.

There are speculations that Gul will be replaced in the near future by a former South African cricketer in the revised coaching setup under Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur.