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Shaheen Afridi (ACC Photo)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s gait spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was astatine his lethal champion successful his team’s do-or-die Super Four clash against Sri Lanka successful Abu Dhabi connected Tuesday, picking up 3 important wickets successful a must-win brushwood that kept Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 hopes alive.After the match, a newsman asked Shaheen astir the scrutiny helium faces whenever Pakistan meets India.
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“My question is that whenever determination is simply a Pakistan-India match, everyone is watching Shaheen Afridi. But successful the past 4-5 matches, Shaheen Afridi didn’t springiness specified a performance. So, successful the adjacent match, if determination is simply a Pakistan-India final, tin we spot Shaheen Afridi’s out-of-form signifier again?” the writer asked.Afridi responded with a cheeky smile, saying: "Are you trying to driblet me? (laugh)." "Agar Shaheen Afridi Pakistan se khelega to apni jaan bhi de dega. [If Shaheen Afridi plays against Pakistan, helium volition springiness up his life"The Asia Cup has besides witnessed respective incidents of assertive behaviour from Pakistani players — some towards fans and absorption — and Afridi was asked whether this aggression was portion of a pre-planned strategy by players specified arsenic Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan.While Rauf appeared to mock Indian fans, Farhan’s gun-firing solemnisation during the Super Four clash connected Sunday besides drew criticism.
"There is nary circumstantial program to beryllium aggressive, we person ever been aggressive, from the clip we started playing. This is however cricket is played and the squad morale is kept high," Afridi explained.When asked whether the squad had discussed a imaginable India-Pakistan final, Afridi was speedy to downplay the hype."We are not successful the last yet, erstwhile we reach, we volition deliberation astir it," helium said.When pressed further astir “what’s been going on” betwixt the 2 sides, Afridi replied cheekily:"Kya chal raha hai?"Asked specifically astir Rauf and Farhan’s on-field behaviour, Afridi preferred not to remark directly."Our occupation is to play cricket, radical tin deliberation what they want. We are present to triumph Asia Cup. We are trying our champion to fulfil Pakistan's hopes," helium said.Reflecting connected Pakistan’s nervy pursuit of 133 against Sri Lanka, Afridi admitted that T20 cricket’s unpredictable quality makes it hard for each subordinate to occurrence simultaneously."Credit to Hussain (Talat) and (Mohammad) Nawaz for handling pressure. T20 is similar this only, everyone doesn't execute astatine the aforesaid time," helium said.On his ain performances with some bat and shot — and whether Pakistan’s accelerated bowlers person underperformed — Afridi was wide astir his responsibilities."My occupation is to fulfil the relation assigned to maine whether it is batting oregon bowling. Doesn't substance if I americium injured oregon unwell. My occupation is to support squad morale precocious and execute well," helium stated."It's not that we are not winning, we person won but we haven't won against bigger teams. I don't deliberation our accelerated bowlers are struggling.
T20 format is specified that batsmen find it easier to deed connected bully wickets. But we should person much saltation successful our bowling and we are striving for that," helium added.Looking up to Thursday’s clash against Bangladesh, Afridi said Pakistan would look to predominate from the precise start."Bangladesh is simply a bully squad and has played bully cricket of late. We person to punch archetypal against them, we person to play bully cricket," helium said.
