Shaheen Afridi picked 7 wickets in 6 matches in T20 World Cup 2021.© AFP
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi should have used his pace “sensibly” in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2021. Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis produced a brilliant partnership to carry Australia to a stunning five-wicket win over Pakistan on Thursday. Wade smashed three sixes in Shaheen’s over to fire Australia in the final. Shahid Afridi said Shaheen should have tried to bowl outside the off-stump. “I am not happy with Shaheen in one area. Okay so Hasan Ali dropped a catch but that does not mean you will bowl badly and get hit for three successive sixes,” Shahid Afridi said on Samaa TV channel.
“Shaheen has so much pace and he should have used it sensibly. Even if the catch was dropped. He should have used his head and tried to bowl outside off stump fast Yorkers with his pace. He is not that sort of bowler to be hit like that,” he added.
The former Pakistan skipper however lauded Shaheen for his brilliant bowling display throughout the showpiece event.
“I would say he was brilliant in the tournament and I have only seen either Wasim bhai (Akram) or perhaps Mohammad Amir bowl like this with the new ball,” said Shahid Afridi.
“He is giving good performances. I hope he learns from this cricket experience and prepares himself for the future,” he added.
Coming to the game, when David Warner and Maxwell fell in successive overs from Shadab Khan, the chase of 177 seemed a distanced dream but Stoinis and Wade had other ideas as they put on 81 in 7.4 overs.
Stoinis started the comeback as he went after Rauf, but it was Wade who did the most damage with three consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Promoted
Earlier, Pakistan had made 176 for four batting first thanks to half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.
Australia will now play New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Topics mentioned in this article