Shahid Afridi: “He was performing as well. Obviously, he couldn’t perform in all games but he was targeted because of me as well”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Renowned Pakistan six-hitter Shahid Afridi has defended top order batsman Ahmed Shehzad, saying how can people expect him to perform in every game.
The 30-year-old was given numerous opportunities to prove his worth to the side, but was never able to make full use of these chances.
Since Afridi was the one who kept selecting him, the former captain feels that there was a target on Shehzad’s back because of him.
“He was performing as well. Obviously, he couldn’t perform in all games but he was targeted because of me as well,” the veteran cricketer, nicknamed ‘Boom Boom’, was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Shehzad has been playing domestic cricket in Pakistan lately and accumulated 164 runs in five matches for the Rawalakot Hawks during the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), which included two fifties, at an average of 41 and a strike-rate of 132.25.
After that, he participated in the National T20 Cup and amassed 68 runs in four games for Central Punjab at an average of 17 and a strike-rate of 111.47.
Pakistan are now in Christchurch, where they are playing a T20 tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh.
They will then feature in the 2022 T20 World Cup, which will take place in Australia and begin on October 16.
Pakistan’s Squad for T20 Tri-Series against New Zealand and Bangladesh: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Shan Masood, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Khushdil Shah, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr
Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani