A controversy is never far away Pakistan cricket and another seems to be developing, this time between former paceman Wasim Akram and the current attack leader. Shaheen Afridi.
The legendary fast bowler hit back at Shaheen Afridi after the latter’s poor performance with the ball in the death overs of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Pakistan T20I captain suffered another poor outing with the ball on Sunday (March 10) during the match between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators.
Mohammad Wasim pulled him in for a final ball six to clinch a thrilling victory for the Gladiators. Shaheen Afridi conceded 41 runs in his four overs of the game. Overall, he picked up 14 wickets in nine games in PSL 2024 with an economy rate of 8.61.
As the pacer struggled to maintain a good economic pace, Wasim Akram did not hold back and hit him. Speaking after Qalandars’ defeat against the Gladiators, the former Pakistan captain said: “Shaheen is a very experienced bowler. He is also the captain of the Pakistan team. He has been playing international cricket for five years.
“Even with the new ball, we were all watching it together, he was hitting half volleys. He needs to understand that the batsmen have now understood that Shaheen’s first two balls will be yorkers. At the death, he will bowl a slower cutter or bowl over the stumps around the wicket. The hitters are ready for it now.
“In 16 to 20 overs, his economy rate is 11. He has conceded 148 runs in 13 overs he has bowled. As a bowler, he should be analyzing how he can improve. It’s about time he learned to throw a slower ball with the back of his hand. He has two wickets but has not been able to do the job of a bowler,“ he added while speaking on ‘The Pavilion’.
Shaheen Afridi Celebration:
Wasim Akram’s comments came after Shaheen Afridi’s interesting celebration in the match. The Qalandars captain was criticized for promoting himself in the batting order during the last match against the Karachi Kings. He was promoted ahead of Sikandar Raza and David Weise and missed out by just 1.
Akram criticized the Qalandars captain for his decision and said: “Shaheen scored 1 for 3, while Raza scored 22 for 16 and Wiese 24 for 9. They took the score to 177. It is not mandatory that if you are captain you have to come out to bat. Observe the situation and whether there are better players and hitters in the dugout. If Shaheen had done that maybe they would have won 190.”
However, Shaheen Afridi justified his decision by hitting a 28-ball fifty against the Gladiators while batting at 5. And after reaching his fifty, he celebrated it with a “silence” celebration by putting his finger on his lips.
Look:
Knocking them out of the park! 💪
5️⃣0️⃣ 🆙 for Captain Shaheen ©️#HBLPSL9 | #KhulKeKhel | #QGvLQ pic.twitter.com/grsh4f1VSh
— Pakistan Super League (@thePSLt20) March 10, 2024
However, Afridi’s fifty did not stop Wasim Akram from criticizing the pacer for promoting himself ahead of the team’s power hitters, as he said: “Shaheen got runs. But his two big hitters, Sikandar Raza (made five balls) and David Wiese, didn’t have a chance.”