IND vs PAK: Shaheen Afridi's Fitness Is Questioned By Wasim Akram And Waqar Younis After Pakistan's Loss To India

In Pakistan’s ICC T20 World Cup opener against India at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, bowling ace Shaheen Afridi made his return to international cricket after a four-month injury layoff.

Pakistan lost to their fierce enemies by four wickets despite his comeback, which did not encourage them.

However, towards the beginning of their chase, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah’s speed and swing were too much for the Indian top order to handle.

Shaheen, whose last official match was against Sri Lanka in July after he sustained a significant knee injury, didn’t offer any assistance to the two-speed bowlers. Shaheen (4-0-34-0) looked nothing like the bowler who destroyed India in the two countries’ T20 World Cup matchup in Dubai last year.

At the MCG, Shaheen was having trouble finding his form as India executed a fantastic chase.

Shaheen Afridi’s lack of match fitness was the reason for his unremarkable performance:

Legendary Pakistani fast bowlers Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram believed Shaheen Afridi’s lack of match fitness was the cause of his underwhelming performance versus India.

Waqar commented on Shaheen’s absence in the match against India during a post-match panel discussion with Wasim Akram and Shoaib Malik. “What we know of Shaheen and what he provides, he was not there (in the match against India),” Waqar said.

“It doesn’t matter how much you bowl in the nets. When it comes to crunch games, the pressure games, you need match practice. And it looks like he is not there yet.”

Wasim agreed with Waqar Younis: “If you don’t play top-level cricket for three months, it’s difficult, even if you’re a young bowler. He only bowled six overs in the two exhibition games before the World Cup.”

All Pakistani cricket fans are now eagerly awaiting the team’s upcoming match against Zimbabwe on October 27 to see if Shaheen Afridi can recapture his best form. For Pakistan to have a chance at winning, Shaheen must be in peak physical condition.

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