Shaheen Afridi Is A Diamond In The Rough, Says Ian Bishop

Former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop acclaimed Pakistan’s young pacer Shaheen Afridi and called him a diamond in the rough after being impressed with his bowling spell against West Indies.

The 21-year-old left-arm speedster got a couple of West Indies’ wickets on the second day of the first Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Friday.

Shaheen Afridi strikes twice against West Indies

In the 38th over of West Indies innings, Afridi sent back Jermaine Blackwood and Kyle Mayers on successive deliveries. Blackwood attempted to drive Afrid’s full-length delivery but lacked power and ended up holding it to Mohammad Abbas at mid-on.

Mayers was trapped before the stumps on his very first ball after playing Afrid’s good length delivery on the back foot he missed the line and went back before having a brief discussion with his skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.

Bishop, who played 43 Tests and 84 ODIs for West Indies between 1989-1997,  compared his own journey to that of the Pakistani youngster and said that he is more ahead of his age and wished him to be a great bowler in Pakistan’s cricket history.

Shaheen Afridi is a diamond in the rough: Ian Bishop

“Shaheen bowled a superb little spell. The guy is 21 years old. He is a diamond in the rough. When I was 21 years old, I knew nothing about Test cricket, even though I was playing the game. Sometimes you can see something in someone even though at the moment they are not the great player you want them to be,” Bishop said, as reported by Cricket Pakistan.

West Indies hold a 34-run lead in the first innings after Pakistan’s innings folded up at 217, Brathwaite was unfortunate to see himself run out on 97, missing his 10th Test hundred.

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