Tom Moody: “Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shadab Khan. They have got a number of terrific players”
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Tom Moody, the former Australia batsman, is amazed at the sheer number of talented players Pakistan have, with captain Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan being four of them.
All four are regular members of the limited overs sides, while Azam, Afridi and Rizwan feature in Test cricket as well.
Given how good their players are, along with the depth they have when it comes to all positions, it is one of the key reasons why Pakistan are one of the most dangerous sides in the world today.
“Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shadab Khan. They have got a number of terrific players,” Moody told ESPNcricinfo as quoted by Cricwick.
Pakistan recently beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in the Test series before crushing Afghanistan 3-0 in an ODI series.
Their latest assignment was the Asia Cup, where Azam scored 207 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 151, at an average of 51.75.
Rizwan, meanwhile accumulated 195 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 97.50.
As for Afridi and Shadab, they took 10 wickets and six wickets at an average of 23.50 and 40.83 respectively.
Pakistan kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with a 238-run win over Nepal before sharing one point apiece with India as their match was washed out.
Having made it through to the Super Four stage, the men in green maintained their momentum with a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh.
However, things fell apart from there as they succumbed to a 228-run loss as the hands of India.
Pakistan still had an opportunity to book their spot in the Asia Cup final, but came up short as they lost to Sri Lanka by two wickets via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) method.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zaman Khan.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir