Shahid Afridi expressed confidence in Pakistan reaching the T20 World Cup final, citing their bowling attack and conditions in the West Indies and USA.
Legendary Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has expressed confidence in Pakistan’s chances of reaching the final of the upcoming 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. He opined that the conditions in the West Indies and USA will suit the team’s strengths, particularly their bowling attack.
“Looking at the conditions, I feel Pakistan should make the final. Our team has outstanding spinners, and even if they’re not currently in peak form, I know they’ll bounce back. Our fast bowling attack is incredible, and our batting has great depth as well,” Afridi told ICC.
Afridi is particularly excited about Pakistan’s pace bowling lineup, featuring Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Amir.
“No team in the world has a stronger bowling attack than ours right now. All our fast bowlers are highly skilled, and even those on the bench, like Abbas, have a lot of talent with his deceptive slower ball. When these skilled bowlers face world-class batsmen in the World Cup, they’re bound to perform well. But they’ll also carry a big responsibility on their shoulders,” added Afridi.
While Afridi acknowledged the need for improvement in batting strike rate, especially between overs seven and thirteen, his ultimate faith lies with Pakistan.
“The only thing that worries me is the batting strike rate, particularly in the middle overs. Ideally, we need eight or nine runs per over in that phase. But despite that, Pakistan remains my favorite team,” admitted the former cricketer.
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He avoided picking a single player as the key to Pakistan’s success but emphasized the importance of Babar Azam’s leadership as captain.
“Every player is crucial. But recent performances show that Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, the pace bowling trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan – all play a vital role and will be key for Pakistan in the World Cup. However, if I had to pick one player, it would be captain Babar Azam. As the leader, I want him to perform exceptionally well and make timely decisions that lead the team to victory,” concluded Afridi.
Last Updated on May 25, 2024
