Pakistan appears the place to be this winter but away from the bright lights and packed stadiums of England’s security-heavy tour, two aspirational coaches from the county system are about to embark on an intriguing assignment of their own.
Paul Franks, assistant to Peter Moores at Nottinghamshire after two decades as the club’s uncompromising all-rounder, has been appointed head coach of Central Punjab for Pakistan’s domestic season, with the 43-year-old overseeing their campaigns in the four-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the 50-over Pakistan Cup.
Joining Franks as his No 2 will be Bilal Shafayat, 38, who since his own playing career has coached the Notts’ age-group levels and second XI.
Their four-month deal goes against the tide of seeking winter work on the Twenty20 circuit and at a time when the national set-up keeps looking to overseas coaches, it shows impressive ambition. “This was too good to turn down,” Franks tells the Guardian. “It came about through a little bit of word of mouth and possibly Trent Rockets winning the Hundred when I was assistant to Andy Flower.