PCB appoints Grant Bradburn as fielding coach of the Pakistan cricket team on a full-time basis

[Abdullah719]

Lahore-September 6, 2018: The PCB has appointed Grant Bradburn as fielding coach of Pakistan Cricket Team on a full-time basis for a period of three years (subject to review). Grant Bradburn will join the team in UAE for the Asia Cup 2018.

The newly appointed fielding coach said, “It is a great honour to be joining Pakistan Cricket Team and their high-quality coaching staff. I have seen the progress that has been made under Mickey Arthur and the opportunity to work with a leading full member team on the rise in world cricket, is a real privilege. Against Scotland in June, we saw the impressive changes that have been instilled, noticeably with the physical stature and fielding abilities of Pakistan’s players. I look forward to adding my experience to the players and staff, while being an integral part of the exciting and dominant team, Team Pakistan is becoming”.

[m.shah]

Who is he? What are his credentials?

[Sherlock]

Wait, the ex-New-Zealand player and Scotland coach?

[shariqnoor]

The only memory I have of him is Afridi taking him to the cleaners in Sharjah.

[shaaik]

The only memory I have of him is Afridi taking him to the cleaners in Sharjah.

That dibbly dobbly leg spinner.. is he the same guy ..

[InziRules]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/new...ectid=12071205

Was linked with New Zealand before us, excellent appointment. He's made Scotland a top Associate side from a very low base.

[topspin]

The only memory I have of him is Afridi taking him to the cleaners in Sharjah.

One of my earliest memories of cricket in Sharjah. I still remember it like it was yesterday. If I remember correctly Afridi scored 26 with the over costing the Kiwis 27 runs.

[shariqnoor]

That dibbly dobbly leg spinner.. is he the same guy ..

No. Bradburn was an off spinner. However his stock delivery was the one that apparently went away from the right hander. Hardly spun the ball. Basically a pacer with a spin action who bowled at 50 MPH.

[MenInG]

Grant Bradburn has been announced as Pakistan's new fielding coach, leaving his role as Scotland's head coach in the process.

Bradburn will join up with the Pakistan squad in the UAE as they prepare for this month's Asia Cup.

On the appointment, Bradburn said: "It is a great honour to be joining Pakistan Cricket Team and their high-quality coaching staff. I have seen the progress that has been made under Mickey Arthur and the opportunity to work with a leading full member team on the rise in world cricket, is a real privilege.

"Against Scotland in June, we saw the impressive changes that have been instilled, noticeably with the physical stature and fielding abilities of Pakistan’s players. I look forward to adding my experience to the players and staff, while being an integral part of the exciting and dominant team, Team Pakistan is becoming."

Bradburn's decision to leave Scotland was a difficult one, but he is optimistic of his former team's prospects. He said: "I am extremely proud of the progress the national team and Cricket Scotland as an organisation have made, which makes it a difficult decision to step away at this time.

"The team is in a great place and recent success is no surprise, considering the strong hard working, winning culture that exists amongst the players and staff. I am positive the team is ready and capable to continue the climb towards full membership and further International success."

Grant Bradburn leaves his Scotland role in order to take up the Pakistan fielding coach job Grant Bradburn leaves his Scotland role in order to take up the Pakistan fielding coach job
Bradburn enjoyed an immensely successful spell as Scotland's head coach in which he oversaw Scotland's famous victory over England in Edinburgh earlier this year. He also took Scotland within inches of a place at next year's ICC Cricket World Cup, with his team losing by just six runs in a decisive rain-affected game against the Windies.

Malcolm Cannon, Cricket Scotland CEO said of Bradburn's departure: “Grant Bradburn’s departure is a demonstration of the high profile the Scotland men’s team has achieved through its continued success over recent years.

"The team has performed very strongly, including our first victory at a world event, a strong performance at the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe and four wins against ICC full members (Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and England) including the iconic ODI victory against England in June this year."

"Grant leaves the team in a very good position to qualify for, and compete strongly in, the next two World T20 finals in 2020 and 2021."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/845199

[shaaik]

No. Bradburn was an off spinner. However his stock delivery was the one that apparently went away from the right hander. Hardly spun the ball. Basically a pacer with a spin action who bowled at 50 MPH.

Yeh that same guy who was taken to cleaners by Afridi.

[Justcrazy]

Interesting choice.

[TeymurBlake]

Wasn't expecting to her this considering how well Scotland were progressing under him. Anyway, good to get a fielding coach and hopefully he improves or adds on to the work Rixon has done.

[Hasan123]

Didn't even know he was being considered. Let's hope he does a good job. Coaching isn't all about being a big name and having previous success in the game.

[ChuckLee]

Baseball fielding coaches imo should be appointed. Cricket field coaching is a paid vacation.

[Donal Cozzie]

This is a very shrewd appointment by the PCB.

Bradburn took over a floundering Scotland side in the latter period of 2013 IIRC after they had failed to qualify for yet another WC and looked a very mediocre side. Within a couple of years he had instilled a great sense of belief in the squad, had blooded several youngsters and took Scotland forward leaps and bounds to the extent where they have competed respectably in WC's and recently toppled England.

A great coach by all accounts and instils great belief in his players.

[Markhor]

Fielding was slack in Zimbabwe so appointment of a fielding coach to replace the good work Rixon was necessary.

Our fitness culture over the years has been such that the players need to be managed by someone who is relentlessly pushing them.

[BunnyRabbit]

Baseball fielding coaches imo should be appointed. Cricket field coaching is a paid vacation.

PCB tried that with Julian Fountain, which turned out to be a failure.

[Square Drive]

PCB tried that with Julian Fountain, which turned out to be a failure.

What?

Fountain was amazing. Really saw our fielding develop under him.

[Haroon786]

PCB tried that with Julian Fountain, which turned out to be a failure.

Fountain was the best fielding coach Pakistan have ever had.

[saeed5646]

Fountain was the best fielding coach Pakistan have ever had.

welcome back after long time

i think rixon was very good

[Haroon786]

welcome back after long time

i think rixon was very good

Thanks!

I agree with you, Rixon has also underseen a period of professional, mostly clean fielding from Pakistan, however under Fountain, Pakistan were markedly better than before or after his period in charge. Definitely think he would still be the best choice as fielding coach.

[Justcrazy]

Fountain is a pure fielding coach , where as Rixon was good enough to be head coach

[giri26]

Update: Fielding coach Grant Bradburn has joined the Pakistan squad in Dubai

[MenInG]

Dubai: Head Coach Mickey Arthur presenting the Pakistan team training kit to Fielding Coach Grant Bradburn who joined the team today.

[wrongun]

Baseball fielding coaches imo should be appointed. Cricket field coaching is a paid vacation.

Not a bad idea. It was Chappels & especially Allan Borders experience with baseball as an off season sport which really began Australia's move toward a more professional fielding outfit. We always had advantages of nice fields for juniors to practice sliding & emphasise fielding etc but in terms of realising how important fielding practice, throwing technique & drilling fielding hard, baseball improved our cricket game.

[Abdullah719]

Some quotes from an interview after his first day:

"Privileged to be part of the first day, received a real warm welcome from all the staff and players. It's an honour to be here."

"The players have some real skill when it comes to fielding and fitness so we're starting from an excellent base, it was an enjoyable first day."

"They can absolutely compete with the best in the world, I've seen first hand in recent times how the fielding and the fitness has absolutely advanced. They're very fit and strong which is the basis of good fielding."

"It's pointless showing them too many complicated drills if they can't move and their physical capabilities aren't there, but they certainly are there, very fit and strong and they seem to enjoy their fielding too."

"I wanted to impart some of the basic drills today and get a feel for where they're at and what skills they've got and I was pleasantly surprised."

"There's no ceiling with regards to fielding, it comes down to attitude and the one thing I see in this group is a lovely attitude of wanting to get better and doing the basics well, that's clearly been instilled well by the previous and current staff."

"There's a really strong attitude and desire to get stuck in, that's the foundation and there's some very skilled cricketers and fielders there so there's no limit to how good they can be."

[Bewal Express]

He needs not only to work with the national side but work with local coaches to improve their methods and techniques. For me fielding is a mindset and if players want to improve they will but these things take years.

[MMHS]

Some quotes from an interview after his first day:

"Privileged to be part of the first day, received a real warm welcome from all the staff and players. It's an honour to be here."

"The players have some real skill when it comes to fielding and fitness so we're starting from an excellent base, it was an enjoyable first day."

"They can absolutely compete with the best in the world, I've seen first hand in recent times how the fielding and the fitness has absolutely advanced. They're very fit and strong which is the basis of good fielding."

"It's pointless showing them too many complicated drills if they can't move and their physical capabilities aren't there, but they certainly are there, very fit and strong and they seem to enjoy their fielding too."

"I wanted to impart some of the basic drills today and get a feel for where they're at and what skills they've got and I was pleasantly surprised."

"There's no ceiling with regards to fielding, it comes down to attitude and the one thing I see in this group is a lovely attitude of wanting to get better and doing the basics well, that's clearly been instilled well by the previous and current staff."

"There's a really strong attitude and desire to get stuck in, that's the foundation and there's some very skilled cricketers and fielders there so there's no limit to how good they can be."

Surprise, in a day he has mastered Urdu - language seems not to be an obstacle any more.

[Ahson8]

Surprise, in a day he has mastered Urdu - language seems not to be an obstacle any more.

Many of current team players can understand English pretty well - I know for sure that Fakhar, Imam, Shan, Malik, Sarfraz & Amir definitely can

[MMHS]

Many of current team players can understand English pretty well - I know for sure that Fakhar, Imam, Shan, Malik, Sarfraz & Amir definitely can

Our Rafiq, till his early 20s, used to sign contracts with thumb mark - absolute illiterate. He did manage his cricket quite well under Grineedge, Barlow, T Chappel, Whatmore & Siddons, therefore I don't think language was ever any issue. But, some butts must had been badly bruised with a pro taking charge instead of Ijaz, Shoaib or ......

[MenInG]

atleast 4 dropped catches - tough task ahead for Mr Bradburn

[mak36]

atleast 4 dropped catches - tough task ahead for Mr Bradburn

Fakhar, Shinwari and Haris should be made to do laps. They should be ashamed of themselves for dropping those catches, that too off a debutant who was giving it his all.

[Syed1]

The fielding coach needs to be fired

[Markhor]

Rixon's approach is what's needed for Pakistan teams. Only the danda will work, otherwise they'll relax.

[InziRules]

The fielding coach needs to be fired

He's only been here two days lol

[mak36]

They've looked a lot sharper this test; some very good catches have been taken.

Good to see there is work going on behind the scenes...

[MenInG]

They've looked a lot sharper this test; some very good catches have been taken.

Good to see there is work going on behind the scenes...

I find it difficult to understand how in a period of few days the side goes from excellent to mediocre to excellent again.

The fielding coach is not a magician

[Savak]

I find it difficult to understand how in a period of few days the side goes from excellent to mediocre to excellent again.

The fielding coach is not a magician

Apparently Steve Rixon was a hard task master. Did not allow the boys to slack at any time. Any misfield, he would make a note of it on his computer and take it up with the boys, he would also show the entire team after the days play on the amount of runs saved in the field due to excellent fielding.

[Boi]

Slip catching has been brilliant.

[CleverSir]

After Rixon left, the players probably slacked off a bit. The new guy came in and obviously it is going to take him a series or so to get the program up and running. I'm sure he had conversations with Rixon about what his methods and ideas about this team were.

Fielding to me is about effort as much as it is technique. You cannot take time off in the field, something the more professional sides learn at the domestic level. We have to teach it at the international level and therefore the fielding coach has to keep a strict level of pressure on our players. I think it is just a matter of the new guy finally getting his program established and the players responding to his coaching.

Long story short, I just think there was an adjustment period between the Rixon leaving and new guy coming in and getting settled.

[MenInG]

Pakistan fielding like champions today and also in previous Test - so things looking good.

[Mueez]

Pak team has been very good in the field.

Sharp fielding.

[mak36]

9 out of the 11 players were electric in the field: taking sharp catches, effecting brilliant run outs, stopping singles... and then there was Hafeez and Imad.

[GoUgandaCranes]

If someone would have told me a few years back that one day we'd outfield Australia, I'd be like "whatchu high on man?" but now it has become a reality.

Granted we still have Imad and Hafiz as really bad fielders but the other ones are good. Add Rizwan to this unit and subtract one of the two above mentioned and we'd match almost any fielding team in the world on paper.