Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed his appreciation for the pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi before the highly anticipated match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan during the Super Four stage of the 2023 Asia Cup.
Before the upcoming match, Shoaib engaged in a casual discussion during a recent interview, touching upon various aspects. During the conversation, the former fast bowler praised Shaheen’s performances but also expressed a desire for the speedster to exhibit more ‘confidence’ or ‘self-assuredness’ in his bowling.
“Shaheen (Afridi) is a great asset. But you know, the arrogance is missing (laughs). That’s all. I mean even if I was bowling under 135 kmph but I’ll be cursing at 145kmph! So that is missing,” Shoaib Akhtar said on ‘Wake Up With Sorabh’ (YouTube Channel).
“Give a little bit of a kick here and there. What will happen? The least that could happen is you get fined. Give the fine. Give a rugby tackle – nothing will happen (laughs). Just have a bit of flair in the cricket you play. Fights happen in every sport, but so much manners in cricket, I do not like it,” he added.
It’s important to note that in the initial encounter against Team India during the group stage, Shaheen Shah Afridi wreaked havoc on the batting lineup. The fast bowler dismissed key batsmen such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja, conceding only 35 runs in his 10 overs, which featured two maiden overs. This outstanding performance translated to an impressive economy rate of 3.50.
