Azhar Mahmood: “Shaheen is our main bowler and an asset for [the] Pakistan cricket team”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood has insisted that left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is a “main bowler and an asset for [the] Pakistan cricket team”.
His praise for Afridi comes at a time when the pace spearhead has not been able to take many wickets.
The 24-year-old has seen more criticism directed his way as questions have been raised about his ineffectiveness and decrease in bowling speed.
Amidst all the outside noise, Mahmood has thrown his support behind Afridi and is confident he will get back to his best very soon.
“Shaheen is our main bowler and an asset for [the] Pakistan cricket team,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Afridi recently featured in Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, but only featured in the first Test and took two wickets at an average of 48.
The men in green failed to impress in both Tests and ended up getting whitewashed 2-0.
Afridi is now captaining the Lions in the Champions One-Day Cup, which is a domestic 50-over competition taking place in Faisalabad, and has claimed nine wickets in four games at an average of 29.33.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a three-Test series against England, which will be played from October 7 to 28.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi