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”.
Umar Gul: “When Abbas Afridi was picked and I was with the Pakistan team as a bowling coach in New Zealand, I felt more pressure than him. People often criticise players with connections, but at the end of the day, it’s the performance that speaks”
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Former Pakistan pace bowler Umar Gul has admitted that during his time as a bowling coach with the national team, he was worried his nephew Abbas Afridi would be accused of benefitting from nepotism.
Fawad Alam: “Mohammad Amir knew exactly how to get Babar Azam out, and you can clearly see the pressure Babar feels when facing him”
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Senior Pakistan cricketer Fawad Alam believes batsman Babar Azam feels pressure when facing left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir.
Tim Neilsen: “The greatest thing I learnt about Babar Azam and other players was that they are human too, they feel the pressure. They want to perform so badly for Pakistan, their families and themselves that they put a lot of pressure on themselves”
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Former Pakistan assistant coach Tim Nielsen said batsman Babar Azam is human too as he feels the pressure to perform every time.
Ramiz Raja: “Saud Shakeel’s captaincy has been instrumental throughout the PSL. Even under pressure during matches, his face shows no fear. It seems like pressure does not affect him at all”
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Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja was highly impressed with Saud Shakeel’s captaincy in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying it felt like “pressure does not affect him at all”.
Pakistan batsman Hussain Talat: “No one now wants to play in the middle order because of pressure of failures”
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Pakistan batsman Hussain Talat said many cricketers don’t want to play in the middle order nowadays since they are worried about failing.
Adrian McInman: “It is inconceivable to think that the Pakistan men’s team don’t have more mental toughness than the average individual”
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After the Pakistan team’s loss to England in the Multan Test, captain Shan Masood was asked in a press conference if the team was mentally weak.
Adrian McInman: “What Rashid really should have said was, ‘Babar’s poor performances are due to dysfunctional thinking, especially fear, not technical matters’. Babar should think more positively”
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In yesterday’s article with Cricket Psychologist Adrian McInman, we discussed a comment by Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan about “pressure.” Adrian suggested we should focus on perceptions and change them when necessary rather than focusing on “pressure”. Additionally, he suggested strenuous and consistent mental skills training, especially around matches, is needed for the Pakistan national men’s team to stop perceiving “pressure situations” and instead view them as “fantastic opportunities.”
Adrian McInman on Mohammad Rizwan: “If I trained Mohammad, I would probably sit down with him and simply ask him: ‘What is pressure?’ If I gave him enough time, he’d probably say, ‘I don’t know. I can’t define it'”
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After the 2025 Champions Trophy match against India, Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan said: “Our middle order maybe couldn’t take the pressure.”
Inzamam-ul-Haq: “When Babar Azam gets out for Pakistan, the opposition’s bowlers get a boost, and Pakistan’s dressing room feels the pressure”
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Legendary Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Babar Azam is the big wicket when the men in green play any team.
