'I want Shaheen Afridi to...'- Former Pakistan World Cup winner gives advice to veteran pacer ahead of IND vs PAK Super 4 clash
The former World Cup winner of the Pakistan side, Wasim Akram, has given a special advice to their veteran fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, ahead of the IND vs PAK clash in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2025.
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During the group-stage clash against India, Pakistan’s premier new-ball pacer, Shaheen Afridi, wasn’t able to earn success with the new ball inside the first six overs of the innings. The Blue Brigade’s left-handed opening batter, Abhishek Sharma, drilled the first ball for a four before hoisting the second successive ball for a fine over boundary.
The former World Cup winner of the Pakistan side, Wasim Akram, has urged the veteran pacer to learn from the full delivery that dismissed Shubman Gill cheaply. He wants Afridi to learn from the Oman pacer and execute the same plan in the Super 4 stage at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“That’s what I want Shaheen Afridi to do early on, because the whole world now knows the plan against him. They say, ‘Okay, he’ll be bowling yorkers first up.’ So Afridi needs to have a Plan B. This is the length he should be bowling. I’m fine with one-off yorkers, but not two or three consecutive ones, because if he misses even one.” Akram expressed on Sony Sports.
Wasim Akram offers special message for Shaheen Afridi for IND vs PAK Super 4 encounter
Akram also requested the Pakistan batters to read the left-arm wrist spinner of the side, Kuldeep Yadav, from the hand which would be the only way of attacking the spinner. Most of their batters had no clue of the variations of the spinner, who ended with a fine figure of 3/18 in four overs at an economy rate of 4.50.
“It’s going for a boundary with only two fielders outside the circle. He ends up putting pressure on himself. I know he thinks he’s being attacking and going for wickets, but mixing it up with length balls is better. One yorker, yes, but not straightaway, and not every ball.” Wasim Akram addressed.
“It’s just the way he (Kuldeep) bowls. They can’t read him. In the pre-show, I was talking to Sunny bhai (Sunil Gavaskar), who was a great batter. He said, ‘unless and until you can read him from the hand, you won’t be able to understand that type of bowling’. So that’s what happened.” The former Pakistan captain concluded.
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