Pakistan bring in local bowling coach to assist Shaun Tait in Asia Cup

Pakistan have sent a bowling coach from their national high-performance centre in Lahore to assist the team's head bowling coach, Shaun Tait in the Asia Cup, beginning in the UAE from Saturday (August 27).

Umar Rasheed left on Wednesday to join the Pakistan team on the recommendation of head coach Saqlain Mushtaq.

"One is that since Mohammad Hasnain is in the squad Umar will keep on monitoring his bowling action as he worked on correcting his action when the fast bowler was first reported for an illegal bowling action early this year," a PCB source told PTI.

"The idea is that Umar will act as the bridge for proper communication between Shaun Tait and the players."

Pakistan will be without their ace paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Asia Cup and the seven T20 Internationals at home against England because of a lingering knee ligament injury sustained in July.

Afridi has been advised six to eight weeks of rest before his injury will be assessed again. The fast bowler is currently with the Pakistan team in the UAE so that he can have the best possible treatment and rehab. The Pakistani selectors replaced Afridi with young fast bowler Hasnain.

Pakistan's pace attack in the Asia Cup is pretty thin on T20I exposure as Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim junior and Shahnawaz Dahani have played a total of 66 matches between them, while Naseem Shah is yet to make his T20I debut.

(With inputs from PTI)