COLOMBO: Pakistan’s young pace sensation, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has sent a clear message to cricket fans worldwide: his scintillating performance against arch-rivals India during the Asia Cup was just a glimpse of what’s to come.
With the ICC World Cup just weeks away, Shaheen is gearing up to deliver more awe-inspiring spells on the cricketing stage.
In a gripping Group A clash last week, the left-arm fast bowler left the Indian top-order in tatters, snaring four crucial wickets, including those of star batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Although the match ended in a washout, cricket enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating their next encounter in Colombo, scheduled for Sunday during the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. This tournament serves as a precursor to the highly anticipated 50-over World Cup, set to kick off next month.
Shaheen, in an interview with AFP, expressed his excitement about the upcoming matches against India, stating, “Every match against India is special, and people watch this a lot. I used to wait for this match as a fan before I played under-16 cricket.” He humbly added, “I can’t say this has been my best spell so far. This is just the start, and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi currently leads one of the most formidable pace attacks in the world, thanks to his ability to move the ball both ways. He acknowledges the high expectations that come with representing Pakistan in all three formats of the game at such a young age, saying, “If you play all three formats at such a young age for Pakistan and handle the new ball, people expect you to perform like that.”
Together with his fellow fast bowlers, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, the trio has collectively claimed an impressive 23 wickets in the Asia Cup thus far. Speaking about their partnership, Shaheen explained, “We know our roles with the new and old ball. Haris is quicker than us and impacts with his pace. Naseem and I try to get early breakthroughs.” He attributed their success to good communication among the trio, stating, “The communication is good between us, and that’s our success.”
The 23-year-old pace prodigy faced adversity last year when he suffered a serious knee injury. However, his triumphant return in July during the series in Sri Lanka has bolstered his confidence. Shaheen commented on the experience, saying, “It’s your match time that helps you improve. These Test matches against Sri Lanka recently made me improve as I bowled long spells and fielded all day. So that cleared all doubts about the knee injury.” With 105 wickets in 27 Tests to his name, Shaheen has firmly established himself as a key asset in Pakistan’s cricketing arsenal.
Despite the political tensions between Pakistan and India that have frozen bilateral cricket ties, Shaheen looks forward to the highly anticipated World Cup clash between the two nations in Ahmedabad on October 14. Drawing insights from foreign players who have participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he anticipates similar conditions in Pakistan and Dubai, where the tournament matches will be played. Shaheen is confident that Pakistan’s bowlers will adapt and find success, particularly spinners who could benefit from the pitches.
Off the field, Shaheen draws inspiration from his father-in-law, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, seeking his wisdom before significant matches. He values Afridi’s simple advice, stating, “I try to pick his brains before a big game and include it in my plans as he was a big-match player. He talks simply and says: ‘Just play your cricket.’
