(Cricket News) As Pakistan prepares to initiate its build-up for the World Cup with a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in the coming week, Coach Grant Bradburn expresses a keen interest in observing his team embrace an assertive style of cricket.

This series is set to commence in Sri Lanka on August 22nd, and it will be succeeded by the Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Subsequently, the culmination of this journey will be marked by the World Cup in India, beginning on October 5th.

Bradburn, sharing his perspective from Lahore on Wednesday, just a day prior to the team’s departure for Sri Lanka, emphasized their proactive approach. He stated, “We’re not seeking to adopt a passive stance and wait for subpar bowling deliveries. Our intent is to be consistently aggressive.”

He further elaborated, “Our training is directed at harnessing our skills and transferring them into match scenarios. This is not merely a coach’s recommendation to the players; it’s an essential mindset as the global cricket landscape evolves. Above all, our primary objective is to engage in winning cricket.”

The team has been relatively away from white-ball cricket action since hosting New Zealand for an ODI series in April. However, many of the players selected for the Afghanistan series are presently participating in T20 white-ball league cricket.

Notably, glimpses of Pakistan’s aggressive intent were witnessed during their 4-1 triumph over New Zealand at home, along with their 2-0 victory in the test series against Sri Lanka in July, where their assertive approach was evident.

The fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, accompanied by legspinners Shadab Khan and Usama Mir, participated in The Hundred tournament in England. Meanwhile, Captain Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, and Iftikhar Ahmed took part in the Lanka Premier League. Their involvement aimed to familiarize themselves with the playing conditions in Sri Lanka.

“It’s indeed beneficial that a number of our players gained valuable experience through their participation in The Hundred and the LPL,” commented Bradburn. “Their exposure to cricket in these leagues has proven to be extremely valuable.”

Having assumed the role of Pakistan’s coach in May, Bradburn’s appointment followed that of Mickey Arthur, who was designated as the team’s director by the previous head of the Pakistan Cricket Board managing committee, Najam Sethi.

Notably, Arthur, who currently serves as the head of cricket at Derbyshire, is set to accompany the Pakistan team during the Afghanistan series and for a portion of the Asia Cup matches. Subsequently, he will travel with the team to India for the World Cup.

Bradburn emphasized his alignment with Arthur in their approach to infuse aggressiveness within the Pakistan team. He remarked, “We’re essentially united in our stance and have shared a strong coaching partnership and friendship for a considerable duration.”

“Mickey and I maintain daily communication… he’s very much integral to the new direction we’re aiming to steer this team towards. We eagerly anticipate Mickey’s involvement, although, from my perspective, he’s already actively contributing on a daily basis,” Bradburn expressed. Both Bradburn and Arthur’s shared proactive approach also garnered the approval of chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, as they have devised strategies to enhance their assertiveness during the middle overs of the 50-over game.

“We are diligently working on honing certain skills to effectively confront the challenges of the middle overs with an assertive mindset – not just in batting, but also in bowling and field placements,” Bradburn elaborated.

“The selection process has been marked by distinct clarity, and with the addition of Mr. Inzi (Inzamam-ul-Haq) to the team, it’s indeed valuable to have his wealth of experience. He is closely aligned with the ideology of the present selection panel, and we have a strong sense of contentment with the lineup we’ve assembled,” Bradburn stated.

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