Ahead of the high-voltage Asia Cup 2023 Super Fours face-off between Rohit Sharma's brigade and Babar Azam's army, Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi fired a strong warning to Team India, hinting that his best performance is yet to come. With a track record of troubling the Men in Blue, Afridi's latest pronouncement adds an edge to the upcoming game.
In an exclusive chat with AFP, Afridi emphasised the importance of the India-Pakistan cricketing duel, reminiscing his days as a young fan. “Every match against India is special and people watch it 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 so far. This is just the start and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come,” he expressed.
Afridi's confidence is not misplaced. During the previous face-off between the two cricketing giants in Pallekele, he showcased his impeccable bowling skills, claiming four wickets and conceding only 35 runs. Such impressive stats inevitably raise expectations for his performance in the impending high-stakes match.
Despite being a young entrant to the international cricket scene, Afridi's scintillating performance has caught everyone's attention. With seven wickets to his name in the 2023 Asia Cup, including a game-changing four-wicket haul against India, Afridi’s trajectory promises an ascending curve.
Analyzing Pakistan’s bowling prowess, Afridi highlighted the cohesive unit’s clear role delineation. “If you play all the 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. Communication is good between us and that’s our success,” he elucidated.
Pakistan's journey in the Asia Cup 2023 has been nothing short of stellar, registering victories over Nepal in the group stage and outplaying Bangladesh in the Super-4 phase.
With the ODI World Cup right around the corner, to be hosted by India in October and November, Afridi divulged how the Pakistani squad is drawing from the expertise of foreign players familiar with the Indian Premier League (IPL) conditions. “All the foreign players who have played in the IPL, we had discussions with them. Spinners will get more help, maybe. We will hit good lengths. Our team performance is going well as the number one (ODI) team. We have prepared well,” Afridi shared.
As for India, they are keen to launch their Super-4 campaign on a resounding note. Their earlier group-stage encounter with Pakistan was marred by rain, leading to an inconclusive game in Pallekele. With the stakes high, cricket aficionados are eagerly awaiting what promises to be a memorable showdown between the two cricketing giants.
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