Tag: Shaheen Afridi

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif called for a major overhaul of the national team’s pace attack, specifically criticising left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi after the thumping defeat in the tri-nation ODI series opener against New Zealand.

Shaheen conceded 88 runs, including 25 runs in the final over of the innings, while taking three wickets in his quota of 10 overs.

Speaking on a private news channel, Rashid Latif demanded the removal of the main pacers including Shaheen from the team, questioning their match-winning potential.

Latif also expressed concerns about Naseem Shah, saying that despite playing for a long time, he hasn’t done much for Pakistan.

The former cricketer also pointed out that players like Khushdil Shah and Salman Agha are often easy targets for criticism, while the “big fishes” like Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah are not held accountable for their performances.

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He believes that if these senior players don’t perform, the rest of the team will also struggle. “Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir will perform when the main players step up,” Latif said.

Latif emphasized the need to focus on the team’s fast bowling, given the condition of fielding and batting.

He also mentioned that Haris Rauf’s injury had a significant impact on the team’s performance, suggesting that things might have been different if he was fit.

Latif urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a fresh approach, with a focus on finding new bowlers and holding the senior players accountable for their performances.

READ: Pakistan selection committee shortlists candidates to replace injured Haris Rauf

Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has shared a special piece of advice for the ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The premier inaugurated the stadium with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and other officials beside him.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz said that it was a happy day for everyone that the stadium’s reconstruction was completed with “such grandeur”.

Shehbaz Sharif praised the national cricket team for their recent performances and expressed hope that they would become champions of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“We all are praying for you. We are all waiting for the moment when you will defeat India,” he stated.

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He also advised Shaheen Afridi to take inspiration from his father-in-law, the legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Moreover, he shared his high expectations for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

“Babar Azam and [Mohammad] Rizwan, we have lots of expectations from you,” he said. “[Shaheen] Afridi Sb, follow in the footsteps of your father-in-law and pile up wickets Insha Allah.”

Sharif also assured that the government would provide top-tier security arrangements for the matches, allowing cricket fans to enjoy world-class cricket.

The PM congratulated the nation on hosting a major international sports event in Pakistan after 29 years. He also thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for providing facilities to the construction team through the Punjab government.

He appreciated Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi for supervising the stadium’s construction.

READ: South Africa add two key players to squad for tri-nation ODI series

Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has recently reminisced about the country’s historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, vividly looking back at the electrifying final match against India.

In a recent ICC video, Afridi shared that he was playing for the Pakistan U19 team at that time and it was one of the most special moments in the country’s cricket history.

“I was playing for Pakistan U-19 when we won the Champions Trophy in 2017. I watched that game on TV, and it was a special moment for our country,” he stated.

Shaheen Afridi also expressed his desire to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and don the iconic white jacket, while praising Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman for their performance in the 2017 final.

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“I want us to wear that white coat again after the final this time. I can never forget Fakhar Zaman’s innings, which changed the game completely, and Mohammad Amir’s spell,” he added.

“Everyone contributed to the win, but those performances stand out. I believe it was a team effort, and we need that again. We want to win the title once more and keep the trophy at home.”

For the unversed, Mohammad Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in the Champions Trophy 2017 final, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped the Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158 after Fakhar Zaman’s century helped Pakistan set a mammoth 339-run target.

READ: Virat Kohli declines captaincy ahead of Ranji Trophy return: reports

Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur has raised questions over the decision to exclude fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the two-match Test series against South Africa.

Shaheen played a key role in Pakistan’s historic whitewash victory in the ODI series against South Africa, however, he is not part of the ongoing Test series.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to rest the ace pacer from the Test series as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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However, Mickey Arthur expressed his disbelief over the decision and voiced his criticism, stating that bowling in South Africa would have helped the pacer.

“I can’t believe it. If he’s not bowling in South Africa, then where the hell are they bowling him? It’s the best place to bowl in the world, almost,” said Arthur.

“Plus, he gives you a left-arm option. I know they have got Mir Hamza, but Shaheen is a game-breaker and match-winner.

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“I’m not in the inner echelon in terms of knowing the ins and outs of why they haven’t selected him, but on pure skill, I would have him in South Africa in any team I pick.”

It’s worth noting that Shaheen Shah Afridi has been roped in by Fortune Barishal and is set to make his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) debut during the upcoming season.

The star pacer is likely to feature in the first five games for Fortune Barishal as he has been granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) until January 15.

READ: Babar Azam joins Virat Kohli in elusive club during Boxing Day Test

DUBAI: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi made significant gains in the latest ICC T20I Rankings released on Wednesday.

Rizwan waged a lone war during Pakistan’s narrow 11-run loss in the first T20I against South Africa with an anchoring knock of 74 runs from 62 balls. He struck five boundaries and three sixes before falling in the last over.

Consequently, Rizwan jumped two spots to sit in the sixth position in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings with 713 rating points.

Meanwhile, his opening partner Babar Azam, who bagged a four-ball duck in yesterday’s match, dropped two places down to seventh.

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South African batter David Miller, who smashed a quick-fire 82 off 40 balls, also made a significant nine-spot jump to claim 42nd position.

On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi jumped six places to 20th in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings after taking three wickets to complete his tally of 100 wickets in the format.

However, his fellow pacer Haris Rauf experienced a three-place drop, which placed him in the 23rd spot with 588 rating points.

It’s worth noting that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan moved one place up to 18th and 21st spot respectively in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has replaced his team-mate Joe Root as the number one batter in Test rankings following his stellar performance against New Zealand.

READ: Ahmed Shehzad slams Pakistan batters for ‘lack of intent’ after South Africa defeat

DURBAN: Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has achieved a major T20I milestone during the first of the three-match series against South Africa here at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

Shaheen returned with bowling figures of 3-22 to reach the coveted 100-wicket mark in T20I cricket.

He became the third bowler from Pakistan to reach the landmark after Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf.

Overall, he became the 19th bowler globally and the eighth fast bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20Is.

It’s worth noting that after the first T20I match in Durban today, the action will shift to Centurion for the second T20I, which is scheduled for December 13. The series will culminate with the final T20I in Johannesburg on December 14.

After wrapping up the T20I series, Pakistan and South Africa will play a three-match ODI series.

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The opening ODI will take place on December 17 in Paarl, while the second and third ODIs will be played in Cape Town and Johannesburg on December 19 and 22 respectively.

Pakistan and South Africa will then engage in a two-match Test series, which will kick off in Centurion on December 26, meanwhile, the second Test will start from January 3 in Cape Town.

Pakistan Playing XI: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

South Africa Playing XI: Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Mathew Breetzke, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (c)(wk), Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Andile Simelane, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Ottneil Baartman

READ: Champions T20 Cup: Khawaja Nafay stars as Markhors edge past Dolphins

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi are on the verge of achieving major milestones in the series-opener of the T20I series against South Africa, scheduled later today.

Babar is currently holding the second position on the highest run-scorers list in T20I cricket, having accumulated 4,192 runs across 126 matches.

He needs only 39 runs to overtake India’s Rohit Sharma, who reigns at the top with 4,231 runs achieved in 159 matches.

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Following closely behind Babar is Virat Kohli, who has announced his retirement from T20I cricket alongside Rohit after India’s victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli occupies the third spot in the rankings, having amassed 4,188 runs across 125 matches.

On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi is just three wickets shy of becoming the third Pakistani bowler to reach the coveted 100-wicket mark in T20Is. Overall, he would be the 19th bowler globally and the eighth fast bowler to reach this feat.

It’s worth noting that after the first T20I match in Durban today, the action will shift to Centurion for the second T20I, which is scheduled for December 13. The series will culminate with the final T20I in Johannesburg on December 14.

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After wrapping up the T20I series, Pakistan and South Africa will play a three-match ODI series. The opening ODI will take place on December 17 in Paarl, while the second and third ODIs will be played in Cape Town and Johannesburg on December 19 and 22 respectively.

Pakistan and South Africa will then engage in a two-match Test series, which will kick off in Centurion on December 26, meanwhile, the second Test will start from January 3 in Cape Town.

Squads of Pakistan and South Africa for T20I series

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

South Africa: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, and Rassie van der Dussen.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed clears the air on retirement statement

DUBAI: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi experienced a significant drop in their positions in the latest ICC T20I Rankings released on Wednesday.

Rizwan, who was rested from the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe, dropped two places and is now sitting eighth in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings with 704 rating points.

Consequently, England’s Jos Buttler (6th) and India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (7th) both gained one place each in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Shaheen slipped two places after missing the T20I series against Zimbabwe and is now sitting at the 26th spot in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings with 573 points.

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It’s worth noting that both Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi will return to Pakistan’s T20I side on the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10 December to 7 January. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

Meanwhile, Abbas Afridi, who claimed figures of 2-2 in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, jumped a whopping 20 places to reach the 60th spot in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings with 450 rating points.

On the other hand, opening batter Fakhar Zaman experienced a decline, falling two positions to settle in 16th place in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings with 642 points. His compatriot Imam-ul-Haq also faced a drop, slipping to 18th place with 633 points.

READ: Taijul Islam spins Bangladesh to level Test series with West Indies

Aqib Javed, the interim white-ball head coach of Pakistan and a member of the selection committee, explained the reasons for excluding pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and off-spinner Sajid Khan from the squad for the Test series against South Africa.

Earlier today, the Pakistan men’s selection committee announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10 December to 7 January. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

However, Sajid Khan, who took 19 wickets in two Test matches against England, was a notable exclusion alongside Shaheen Afridi.

Aqib Javed, while clarifying the reasons, highlighted the ‘horses for courses policy,’ stating that Sajid has left out because pitches in South Africa are not suitable for spinners.

It’s worth noting that Noman Ali, who took 20 wickets against England, is the sole spinner in the Test squad.

“We have adopted horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa,” said Aqib.

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“Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision.

“However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling.”

On the other hand, Aqib revealed that Shaheen Afridi has been rested as part of the strategy to keep him fresh and fit for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad is a strategic decision to ensure he remains physically and mentally fresh for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” he added.

He further shared that opening batter Fakhar Zaman was also not considered for the white-ball series against South Africa as he is yet to achieve full fitness.

“Similarly, Fakhar Zaman was not considered as he is yet to regain form and match fitness.”

Pakistan squads for South Africa tour

Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha

ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

READ: Virat Kohli on the verge of breaking Sir Don Bradman’s 76-year-old record

DUBAI: Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf made a significant leap, while his fellow pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi experienced a downfall in the latest ICC T20I Bowling Rankings released on Wednesday.

The Green Shirts suffered a humiliating whitewash in the three-match series against Australia, which resulted in Pakistani players’ steep fall in the rankings.

Shaheen Afridi had a disappointing outing during the series, struggling to find his rhythm on the field. He managed to claim just one wicket, resulting in a frustrating bowling average of 107.00 and a high economy rate of 11.88 runs per over.

This below-par performance caused him to drop 10 spots to settle in the 24th position in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings.

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Similarly, Naseem Shah also claimed only one wicket in two games, conceding runs at an economy rate of 13.50, which caused him to drop 14 places to 65th.

However, Haris Rauf and Abbas Afridi made significant gains in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings courtesy of their brilliant performances despite Pakistan’s loss.

Haris gained four spots to reach 20th with 601 rating points after taking five wickets in three games at an average of 15.40.

Meanwhile, Abbas Afridi claimed six wickets in as many games at a brilliant average of 6.66, which resulted in him entering the top 100 T20I bowlers in the rankings. He is currently sitting in the 83rd spot after making a 39-place jump.

READ: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan suffer decline in ICC T20I Rankings