Former Indian cricketers rip into Shaheen Afridi after loss to India

Shaheen Afridi’s struggle to regain his form continued during the highly anticipated World Cup 2023 match between Pakistan and India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

Despite being a significant threat to the Indian top order in the past, the tall left-arm seamer couldn’t make an impact as India secured a resounding seven-wicket victory, chasing a modest target of 192.

Anticipation was high for the clash between Shaheen and the Indian top order, particularly Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Known for his late movement and ability to trouble right-handed batsmen, Shaheen was expected to challenge the Indian batting lineup. However, his form had been a concern leading up to the crucial India game, having only taken two wickets for 103 runs in the opening matches against Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

In the match against India, Indian skipper immediately took on Shaheen, hitting a boundary off the very first ball. Although Shaheen managed to dismiss Gill in the third over, his threat was neutralized by Sharma.

Former India head coach, Ravi Shastri, didn’t mince words in criticizing Shaheen’s performance. Shastri dismissed comparisons between Shaheen and the legendary Wasim Akram, emphasizing that Shaheen, though a decent bowler, is not extraordinary. He underscored the need for accepting this reality.

“When Naseem Shah is not playing and this is the quality of spin. Shaheen Shah Afridi is no Wasim Akram. He is a good bowler with the new ball and can pick wickets, but there is nothing special about him. He is only a decent bowler. He’s no big deal. You have to accept the truth,” Shastri said.

Joining in the critique was Sunil Gavaskar, who expressed disappointment in Shaheen for not adopting strategies similar to those used by Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Gavaskar highlighted Bumrah’s success with slower off-cutters, emphasizing that Shaheen should have employed similar tactics with the new ball. Despite a late cutter that got Sharma out, Pakistan’s bowlers failed to adjust their approach effectively during the match.

“Rizwan’s wicket was a huge blow. Next over Bumrah gets another wicket, with another cutter. Clearly Pakistan did not learn anything because it was only towards the end when Shaheen bowled that cutter that got Rohit out. We would have thought that they would bowl the cutter even with the new ball. It is not written anywhere that the new ball has to be bowled at a certain pace. You can change it, but nothing of those sorts was seen from the Pakistan bowlers,” Gavaskar said.

It is worth noting that India bowled out Pakistan for 191 after their rivals collapsed from 155-2 in the World Cup clash in Ahmedabad on Saturday.