Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has questioned team management over Shaheen Afridi’s fitness. He said that the left-arm pacer looked out of rhythm in the T20 World Cup 2022 clash against India.
“This was not the Shaheen that we know,” Waqar Younis on Pakistani pacer
Pakistan suffered a disappointing loss against India in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2022. They had a decent outing with both bat and ball but they failed to hold their nerves in the end.
However, one of the concerning things for them was Shaheen Afridi. The pacer made his comeback from the injury and many expected him to wreak havoc across the Indian batting lineup like he did last time.
Shaheen Afridi will go wicketless today. Save this. #INDvsPAK
Advertisement— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) October 22, 2022
But he looked out of sorts in the game against India. He looked a bit unsettled and failed to take a single wicket. Afridi also leaked 17 runs in the 18th over and it’s fair to say that tilted game in India’s favor.
Waqar Younis gives his take on pacer’s fitness. He feels that he was not a match fit. Speaking about the same, he said:
“I asked them about his progress and reminded them no matter how much he bowled in the nets but playing in a World Cup match was a totally different situation,”
Wasim Akram agrees that Shaheen Afridi looked short on match practice against India
Not only Waqar Younis, but Wasim Akram also feels that Shaheen Afridi looked out of touch in the game against India. Speaking about the left-arm pacer, he said:
“I asked them if his rehab was going well then why not try out him in the tri-series instead of waiting for the World Cup. He didn’t appear to have that zip in his bowling.
Nothing is cooler and more attractive than a big comeback, and that’ll be our @iShaheenAfridi in this T20WorldCup2022. 👍♥️🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/WGl7NcoyC4
Advertisement— Shahnawaz Dahani (@ShahnawazDahani) October 22, 2022
That is understandable because any fast bowler returning from a knee injury is concerned at first about going flat out. Let’s see how quickly he gains full match fitness,”
The next few games will be extremely important for Pakistan if they have to fancy their chances of qualifying. They will next face Zimbabwe on Thursday (27th October).
