Wasim Akram: “the whole world now knows the plan against him. They say, ‘Okay, he’ll be bowling yorkers first up.’ So Afridi needs to have a Plan B”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan fast bowling great Wasim Akram has called out left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi for being too predictable when bowling and urged him to develop a “Plan B”.
Wasim noted everyone expects Afridi to bowl yorkers, but urged the 25-year-old not to deliver two or three in a row, as batsmen will anticipate them.
Instead, the Sultan of Swing advised Afridi to mix up his bowling by incorporating length balls and other variations.
“That’s what I want Shaheen Afridi to do early on, because the whole world now knows the plan against him. They say, ‘Okay, he’ll be bowling yorkers first up.’ So Afridi needs to have a Plan B. This is the length he should be bowling,” Wasim said on the Sony Sports Network as quoted by NDTV.
“I’m fine with one-off yorkers, but not two or three consecutive ones, because if he misses even one, it’s going for a boundary with only two fielders outside the circle. He ends up putting pressure on himself. I know he thinks he’s being attacking and going for wickets, but mixing it up with length balls is better. One yorker, yes – but not straightaway, and not every ball.”
Afridi recently played in Pakistan’s T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan, and picked up four wickets in four matches at an average of 19.50 and an economy rate of 5.57.
He good run of form continued in the 2025 Asia Cup, where he took 10 wickets in seven games at an average of 16.40 and an economy rate of 6.60.
Afridi is likely to be back in action soon as he was included in Pakistan’s team for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.
Pakistan will host South Africa for two Tests, three T20Is, and three ODIs, which will take place from October 12 to November 8.
Pakistan squad for South Africa Test series: Shan Masood (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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