PAK vs NZ: "He Now Holds The Key For Pakistan Progressing In The Tournament" - Ricky Ponting On Shaheen Afridi

Pakistan Cricket Team won’t be able to believe that they qualified for the Semi-Finals after losing the first two matches. The team has rediscovered its mojo and once again is looking like a threatening unit. The Men in Green showed great fighting spirit as their win over South Africa proved to be the turning point.

Pakistan is set to lock horns against New Zealand on 09th November (Wednesday). That contest would be a fascinating one as New Zealand has a score to settle with Pakistan as, before this T20 Word Cup, Pakistan had won Tri-Series in New Zealand and defeated the Black Caps.

Ricky Ponting on Shaheen Afridi

Ricky Ponting was seen interacting with ICC and was asked about Shaheen Afridi. “He might say that he’s not back to 100 percent just yet, but from what I’ve seen it looks like he’s going along beautifully and he now holds the key to Pakistan progressing in the tournament,” said Ricky Ponting.

“(I never had any doubt) as you just know what he’s capable of when he’s out there on the field. And as I said, even if he’s not at 100 percent, if he’s operating at 90 percent, he’s still going to have more of an impact on games than most because of how good he is,” he added.

Shaheen Afridi an Asset

The left-arm pacer had rattled Bangladesh’s batting line-up when he took 4 wickets and it looked as if he is back to his best. Shaheen is someone who has got express pace and the angle that he creates is a lot disturbing for the batters. The management would be hoping that Shaheen produces a scintillating spell against New Zealand.

Head Coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Skipper Babar Azam may use him in 3 spells as he has the knack of breaking partnerships quite often. Shaheen recently has developed a lot of variations like cutters and slower balls which makes him a vital cog. New Zealand’s openers would be aware of an uphill challenge as attacking Shaheen would be a risky option as the bowler is quite disciplined in his line and length.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “England Have Great Players But Till Now They Have Not Synced” – Pragyan Ojha