LAHORE: Former Zimbabwe Test batsman Grant Flower was appointed as national batting coach for a two-year term by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday.

A press release issued by the PCB on Thursday read: “Acting on the recommendation of the coach-selection committee comprising Moin Khan, Intikhab Alam and Haroon Rashid, PCB chairman Najam Sethi has appointed former Zimbabwe batsman Grant Flower as the batting coach for two years. Zaheer Abbas, special adviser to the PCB chairman, and chief coach Waqar Younis too concurred with the committee’s recommendation.

“Grant Flower shall be joining the Pakistan team on Aug 1, 2014.”

The PCB still has to appoint fielding coach, trainer and physio to complete the team management. Waqar (head coach), Moin (manager-cum-chief selector) and Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach) have already been appointed by the PCB.

According to the details available with Dawn, Grant will also stay at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), like previous head coach Dav Whatmore of Australia, during the national team’s off-duty periods.

It is the first time that a specific coach has been appointed for improving the batting department, in which the national team have had a significant deficiency over the years.

Though the services of Pakistan batting maestros like Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas, and that of, Whatmore — being also an established batsman — were hired by the Board to bring improvement in the batting department, a majority of Pakistan batsman have largely remained unpredictable particularly in crunch situations.

The 43-year-old Grant Flower, with his elder brother Andy Flower, served Zimbabwe cricket in international contests for a long time.

After entering international stage in Test cricket with the match against India at Harare in October 1992, Grant represented his country in as many as 67 Tests scoring 3,457 runs averaging 29.54, his runs aggregate included six centuries and 15 half-centuries. As slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he claimed 25 Tests wickets at 61.48.

In ODIs, the right-handed top-order batsman totalled 6,571 runs in 221 games at 33.52, hitting six centuries and 40 half-centuries.

He took 104 ODI wickets at 40.62.

Flower played his last Test against Bangladesh at Bulawayo in 2004. However, he continued to feature in ODIs for Zimbabwe until 2010.

Considered an excellent fielder especially in the gully area, Grant earlier came to light during the dispute between the ZCU and the rebel players as he acted as spokesman for the rebels. In 2004, he decided to quit international cricket, although that had already in effect been sealed by the dispute between the rebels and the ZCU.

He then signed a contract with English county Essex, spending six productive seasons with them.

In a dramatic turnaround in his ties with ZC, Flower came back to Zimbabwe and took up the position of national team batting coach after his final season with Essex in October 2010.

The fit-looking player also made an international comeback too, featuring in two ODIs against South Africa in their backyard, but without success, and also returned to domestic cricket in Zimbabwe, leading Mashonaland Eagles to the domestic T20 crown in 2010-11.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2014