Geoff Lawson: “Pakistan will have a leftie with swing & genuine speed in Shaheen Afridi. He boasts a Mitchell Starc-like yorker, a threatening bouncer & a knuckleball”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan head coach Geoff Lawson said left-arm speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi boasts a yorker similar to that of Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
Lawson pointed out that Afridi has a couple of other weapons in his arsenal, including a “threatening bouncer” and a great “knuckleball”.
Couple all this with his swing and speed, which can surpass 150 kph, and it is little wonder why he is one of the top wicket-takers in the world.
“Pakistan will have a leftie with swing & genuine speed in Shaheen Afridi. He boasts a Mitchell Starc-like yorker, a threatening bouncer & a knuckleball,” Lawson was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Afridi is currently sidelined with a knee injury that he sustained in the 2022 T20 World Cup final.
Since it remains unclear when he will return, he was not selected for the ongoing three-Test series against England.
Pakistan lost the first Test in Rawalpindi by 74 runs and will be looking to bounce back in the second match, which began on Friday in Multan.
Pakistan’s Squad for England Test Series: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed