Ramiz Raja: “My main concern is… what are his fitness levels and what impact does it have on the team”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja expressed his concerns about left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fitness and questioned whether it will affect the national team.
Afridi’s fitness and slow bowling speed were two key topics brought up during the recent three-match Test series against Australia as he missed the third Test in Sydney and wasn’t bowling between 140 kph and 150 kph regularly.
In the two Tests he did play, he took eight wickets at an average of 41.62.
Ramiz noted that as the leader of the pace attack, the 23-year-old has certain responsibilities and requirements he must deliver. However, having fallen short of the mark in the recent Tests against Australia, Ramiz admitted he is worried that Afridi’s poor performances could become a common occurrence.
“My main concern is… what are his fitness levels and what impact does it have on the team,” he told Cricwick.
After the Australia Tests, Afridi captained Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand and snapped up nine wickets at an average of 19.22 and an economy rate of 8.94.
Afridi is now leading the Lahore Qalandars in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has picked up three wickets in three matches.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sahibzada Farhan, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Hafeez, Dan Lawrence, Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas
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