The English adventure in Pakistan this winter did not end with Ben Stokes and his players celebrating a famous 3-0 Test clean sweep but rather last Monday, as Central Punjab beat Balochistan by 50 runs in Karachi to claim the domestic 50-over cup.
Central Punjab’s head coach is Nottinghamshire’s Paul Franks, with Bilal Shafayat, the county’s former batsman, his assistant. As the pair beamed at the success, three months of graft away from the spotlight and security bubble of England’s historic tour had been rewarded handsomely. “I can’t remember a dull day,” says Franks, back home and set for a return to pre-season at Trent Bridge on Monday, where he is assistant to Peter Moores. “Going into that final week with a chance of winning a competition, with all the hard work we had put in and having been away from family over Christmas, it made for a pretty special end to an amazing experience.
“I’ve never had a feeling like it in cricket, it was really different to winning trophies as a coach with Notts or Trent Rockets; it was more relief at seeing the hard work had borne fruit. For the players it was sheer elation.”
Franks and Shafayat were among a contingent of English support staff who signed up to work in Pakistan’s six-team domestic system. Their side went unbeaten in the four-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy – albeit with 10 draws on unforgiving surfaces – before blossoming in the 50-over format by topping the group stage and tigerishly defending 254 in the final.
Known as the General at Notts, Franks is the type to divert praise to his troops and the news of maiden Pakistan call-ups for Tayyab Tahir, leading run-scorer in the competition, and Usama Mir, top wicket-taker, capped things off. “That’s a really strong message from Shahid Afridi and his selection panel, I really hope they can show what they’re all about,” he says.
The 43-year-old draws great personal satisfaction from a trip that concluded with a deluge of public praise from his victorious Central Punjab players on departure. Franks says: “I probably did things differently. We spent a lot of time together as a group, really getting to know each other and that maybe in the past hadn’t happened.
“As much as being head coach, you want to become a friend so they can trust you when a big decision or advice comes. There are always periods of play when you don’t feel in control but also times where you can see your input really show through – that’s the most satisfying thing, to go on the journey with the players.”
Shafayat’s input was also key. Franks insisted before the trip that the 38-year-old – known to England fans for his walk-on role in the 2009 Cardiff Ashes Test – was bringing more than just valuable fluency in Urdu, having spotted his potential when coaching Nottinghamshire’s second XI and age-group teams.
“I knew Bilal was highly skilled as a coach, so it was no surprise to me” says Franks. “His playing experience in Pakistan also gave me a real heads-up on what to expect. He’s a gem of a coach.”
And his own development? “We toured more of the country than most international sides and it was a trip that had challenges. If I learned one thing, it’s to manage the things that matter.”
This outlook was needed when, after a 12-day break at home in early December, Franks returned for the 50-over cup and a reaction to England’s dominance in the Test series was brewing in the corridors of power. It led to Ramiz Raja being ousted as chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board and wider regime change among Franks’ employers. On 23 December, with five games of the 50-over cup to go, there were even reports that all domestic coaches in Pakistan had been sacked before the expected restructure of the six-team system.
Franks says: “For 24 hours there was a lot of uncertainty among the squad not knowing if we’d still be here the next day. But the new regime told us they wanted to finish the season and together we got what we set out to achieve.”
And his own ambitions now, not least the role of Pakistan head coach that is expected to come up? “Ha, I think they may go for someone a bit more high profile. But I’m very grateful to the PCB for trusting me with the Central Punjab role, it was an amazing experience as a person and as a coach. The kindness of the players and people in Pakistan will stay with me forever.”
