Pakistan fast bowler Abbas Afridi: “I consider myself an all-rounder, but I haven’t had enough opportunities to showcase my full potential yet. I focus more on batting than bowling, and my goal is to establish myself as a true all-rounder”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan pace bowler Abbas Afridi considers himself to be an all-rounder, but feels he hasn’t “had enough opportunities to showcase my full potential yet”.
Afridi has become one of Pakistan’s go-to speedsters in T20I cricket and has proven to be a handy lower order batsman with some major firepower.
Having also shown what he can do with the ball in his hand, the 24-year-old has now set his sights on having a bigger impact with the bat so that he can earn the title of a true all-rounder.
“I consider myself an all-rounder, but I haven’t had enough opportunities to showcase my full potential yet. I focus more on batting than bowling, and my goal is to establish myself as a true all-rounder,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Afridi recently featured in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 11 matches for the Karachi Kings at an average of 23.52 and an economy rate of 10.25.
He also amassed 72 runs at an average of 14.40 and a strike-rate of 175.60.
After this, he was involved in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore and claimed two wickets in one game at an average of 13 and an economy rate of 6.50.
He didn’t get to bat, however, but the men in green still won the series 3-0.
Abbas’ next assignment was Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh, which consisted of three T20Is.
In those three games, he finished with three wickets at an average of 17.66 and an economy rate of 8.83.
As for his batting, he struck 42 runs at an average of 21 and a strike-rate of 105.
Following back-to-back series against Bangladesh, Pakistan embarked on a white-ball tour of the West Indies, but Afridi was not involved in both the T20I and ODI series.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah, which will be played from August 29 to September 7.
After that, the men in green will feature in the 2025 Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Afridi was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the T20I tri-series and the Asia Cup.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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