Pakistan quick Shaheen Shah Afridi: “I know I can still bowl 140 or 145, but you have to do everything when the time is right”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has hit back at those who have criticised him for bowling to slow, insisting that he is still capable of hitting speeds between 140 and 145 kph.
Particularly during Pakistan’s recent three-match Test series against Australia, the 23-year-old’s bowling speed became a hot topic as people questioned why his pace had dipped so much.
However, Afridi noted that averaging 140 kph is not realistic, especially in T20 cricket as bowlers need to utilise a lot more variations such as slower balls.
“I know I can still bowl 140 or 145, but you have to do everything when the time is right. In T20 cricket, no bowler bowls 140-plus as their average ball. In T20 cricket, you only need to bowl three or four balls at express pace. There are a lot of slower balls, variations, and the like. I have never felt my pace has dipped. I know I can bowl 140 or 145. I’m still fit and young, just 23,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
Currently, Afridi is captaining the Lahore Qalandars in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has taken 11 wickets in seven matches at an average of 21.09 and an economy rate of 8.28.
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