In a thrilling showdown at Colombo’s R, Premadasa Stadium during the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash, former Pakistani speedster Waqar Younis expressed his dissatisfaction with Shaheen Afridi’s performance with the new ball.
The contest against India had spectators on the edge of their seats as the left-arm pacer had an outstanding group-stage performance, taking four wickets for 35 runs, including the prized scalps of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, the tables turned during the second innings, and Afridi faced a relentless assault from the Indian openers.
Afridi’s initial three overs were a struggle, as he failed to find the elusive movement and rhythm. Team India had devised a revamped strategy to counter him, and Afridi conceded 31 runs. Rohit Sharma set the tone early by smashing a six off the final delivery of Afridi’s first over.
Waqar Younis, during the rain interruption, critiqued Afridi’s approach on Star Sports, saying, “Shaheen was totally off color with the new ball. Nobody in the Pakistan team line-up tried to bowl the short ball and the bouncers. The swing was there – Naseem showed it from the other end.”
“If you bowl in the right areas, you will trouble the batters. But Shaheen has to think hard, even in the previous match, although he bowled a brilliant 10 overs, he was off color and tried too hard today and gave away easy boundaries,” Younis continued.
On the flip side, Naseem Shah, from the opposite end, unleashed a blistering spell that made Rohit Sharma exercise caution. Employing a back-of-a-length approach, Naseem managed to extract movement and bounce, even registering a maiden over amidst the Indian openers’ onslaught.
Afridi re-entered the fray upon Virat Kohli’s arrival at the crease. He succeeded in securing Pakistan’s second breakthrough by outsmarting Shubman Gill with an off-pace delivery. Gill’s drive attempt ended in deception, chipping the ball to the fielder at cover.
As rain interrupted the proceedings, Afridi’s figures stood at 5-0-37-1, compelling the match to shift to the reserve day, scheduled for Monday. The game will resume with Team India at 147-2 after 24.1 overs, with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul holding the fort.
In a contest that has seen twists and turns, the battle between Shaheen Afridi and the Indian openers has proven to be a riveting subplot, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this thrilling encounter.
