Sarfaraz Ahmed: “It is important for Pakistan to have a fit Shaheen Shah Afridi”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said the national team need left-arm pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi at peak fitness.

Afridi is currently playing in the T20 World Cup after spending a few months on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury.

He missed the Asia Cup, seven-match T20 series against England and the T20 tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh.

However, in the two T20 World Cup matches he has played, which were against India and Zimbabwe, he has gone wicketless.

The 22-year-old conceded 34 runs off his four overs against India, who Pakistan lost to by four wickets, and 29 runs off his four overs against Zimbabwe, who stunned the men in green with a one-run victory.

Knowing how lethal Afridi can be, especially with the new ball, Sarfaraz said it is imperative that he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

“It is important for Pakistan to have a fit Shaheen Shah Afridi,” he told Sports Paktv as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

Pakistan are still in a precarious situation in the T20 World Cup, even though they beat the Netherlands by six wickets on Sunday.

Afridi showed some improvement in that as he registered figures of 1-19 off his four overs.

The men in green will now need to secure another big win when they go up against South Africa on Thursday in Sydney.

Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood

Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir

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