Ahead of the keenly awaited matchup between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Super Four round of the Asia Cup 2023, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar showered accolades on pace merchant Shaheen Afridi.
In a recent interview, Shoaib engaged in a lighthearted conversation about a variety of topics before to the competition. He spoke on a variety of subjects. In the midst of the talk, the former pacer heaped praise on Shaheen’s efforts but desired more ‘arrogance’ from the speedy.
“Shaheen (Afridi) is an extremely valuable asset. However, as far as I can see, the arrogance has vanished (laughs). That brings us to the end. I mean, even if I were bowling at a speed of less than 135 kilometres per hour, I’ll still be swearing at 145 kilometres per hour! Shoaib Akhtar stated that during an appearance on the YouTube Channel programme ‘Wake Up With Sorabh’ that particular aspect was lacking.
Give it a little kick here and there. What is going to take place? You might end up having to pay a fee at the very least. Pay the required amount. It doesn’t matter if you give a rugby tackle; nothing will happen (laughs). Just show a little bit of flair in the way that you play cricket. Fights are a part of every sport, but there are so many manners in cricket that I find it annoying,” he continued.
It is important to point out that Shaheen Afridi smashed through the batting order in the first match that team India played in the group stage.
This is something that should be noted. A remarkable economy rate of 3.50 was achieved by the fast bowler as he took the key wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja while also allowing only 35 runs to be scored in his 10 overs and bowling two maidens.
Shaheen is now one of the leading wicket-takers in the ongoing ACC competition thanks to the seven wickets he has taken over his three appearances thus far. In spite of the fact that the previous match between these two teams at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy ended in a tie owing to the relentless rain, it is still unknown whether or not the rain gods would make their presence felt in Colombo, taking into consideration the weather forecast.
In the opening match of the Super Four, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in a spectacular manner, and as a result, they are currently in an exultant state. On the other hand, team India will begin their campaign in the knockout stage, and they will be doing everything they can to advance towards a result that is favourable to them.
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