AUS vs PAK: Shaheen Afridi Sledges Marnus Labuschagne During Boxing Day Test

On the opening day of the Boxing Day Test, a heated confrontation unfolded between Pakistan’s pacer Shaheen Afridi and Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne. The intense competition between Shaheen Afridi and Marnus Labuschagne went viral on social media platforms.

The Pat Cummins-led team started the three-match series on a positive note with a 360-run victory in the first Test in Perth. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood opted to bowl first during the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday, December 26.

Shaheen Afridi Sledges Marnus Labuschagne On Day 1

During the second session, Shaheen Afridi engaged in sledding with Marnus Labuschagne, who exhibited resilience against the challenging spells. Shaheen, aiming to unsettle Labuschagne, displayed aggression, but the Australian batter maintained remarkable composure.

In the 41st over, Shaheen bowled from around the wicket, and Labuschagne played a defensive shot back to the bowler. Shaheen resorted to heated words, but Labuschagne demonstrated patience. The intense battle gained widespread attention, with numerous pictures and videos circulating on social media platforms.

Shaheen Afridi X Marnus Labuschagne , this is the aggression that is needed. Missed this shaheen since ages Welcome Back Sheenu ❤️‍??
|| #PAKvsAUS || #AUSvPAK || #Shaheen || pic.twitter.com/2R1zKesBoU

— Haris Arshad (@harris00071) December 26, 2023

no way shaheen is sledging marnus with this kind of pace ?????

— ?????? (@hvmmad1) December 26, 2023

Pakistan Bounce Back With Ball In Second Session

Australia dominated in the first session, with openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja amassing 90 runs for the first wicket. Warner fell to part-time off-spinner Agha Salman on the brink of lunch. Warner scored 38 runs off 83 deliveries, including three boundaries.

Pakistan applied pressure in the second session, dismissing Khawaja for 42 runs. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith faced challenging bowling, consolidating the innings. The hosts reached a total of 114-2, and rain interrupted play, prompting an early tea on Tuesday.

Shaheen faced a challenging performance in the series opener, securing only two wickets. However, the pacer created an opportunity to dismiss David Warner during the first session of the second test, but Abdullah Shafique dropped a straightforward catch at first slip.

We Support Usman Khawaja – Pat Cummins

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Australia captain Pat Cummins acknowledged that Usman Khawaja is standing up for what he believes respectfully. He expressed support for Khawaja’s message of equality and peace represented by a dove symbol.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of the application, but I think it is pretty vanilla, a dove. We really support Uzzy, I think he’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s doing it really respectfully. All lives are equal and I don’t think that’s very offensive, and I’d say the same about the dove. That’s Uzzy. He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there’s rules in place, so I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.”

“I’ve spoken to Uzzy a fair bit. I won’t go into too [much] depth, but it’s really similar to what he’s said publicly. He just sees all lives as equal, he sees the war there as a waste, and there’s a lot of loss that he’s trying to shine a light on that he thinks isn’t necessary. We support him.”

Also read: PAK vs AUS: Shaheen Afridi Likely To Be Rested For 3rd Test Against Australia To Manage Workload – Reports