The upcoming Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage features a headline-grabbing encounter between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, slated for September 10th in Colombo. The spotlight will undoubtedly be on how the Indian batsmen confront the formidable Shaheen Afridi.
Afridi has consistently troubled Indian batsmen with his exceptional left-arm pace bowling. In the previous clash between the two teams on September 2nd in Pallekele, Afridi wreaked havoc on India’s top order, reducing them to a precarious 66/4. His remarkable figures of 4/25 included the dismissals of key Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya.
As they prepare to face Afridi once more in the Super Four game, Indian batsmen are sure to be wary of his capabilities. However, according to the Pakistani speedster, he has yet to deliver his best.
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In an interview with AFP, Shaheen Afridi emphasized that he’s just getting started and has many more stellar performances in store. He underscored the significance of the clash against India, stating, “Every match against India is special and people watch this a lot. I used to wait for this match as a fan before I played under-16 cricket. I can’t say this has been my best spell (4/25 in Pallekele) so far. This is just the start, and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come.”
Afridi also discussed his bowling partners, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, highlighting their effective communication and understanding of their respective roles. He added, “If you play all three formats at such a young age for Pakistan and handle the new ball, people expect you to perform like that. We know our roles with the new and old ball. Haris is quicker than us and impacts with his pace. Naseem and I try to get early breakthroughs. The communication is good between us, and that’s our success.”
The formidable pace trio of Shaheen Afridi (7 wickets), Haris Rauf (9 wickets), and Naseem Shah (7 wickets) has collectively taken 23 wickets in the tournament’s three games. They all rank among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament, underscoring their dominance on the field.