“Big relief for Indian top order batsmen,” Waqar Younis reckons Indian batsmen would be happy to know Shaheen Afridi has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2022
Shaheen Afridi had bowled a game changing new ball spell the last time India and Pakistan had faced each other in T20 World Cup last year
- The former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis, who was also the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team for a long time, reckons that the knee injury of Shaheen Afridi must have provided a big relief to the Indian batsmen who would be batting in the top order against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.
While Shaheen Afridi is an allround bowler and can bowl in all phases of the game, his biggest strength is to swing the new ball upfront and it was his new ball spell in the T20 World Cup last year which had pushed India on the backfoot. Shaheen had trapped Rohit Sharma in front of the stumps for an LBW dismissal, before cleaning up another Indian opener KL Rahul.
Shaheen will not be in action in the upcoming Asia Cup because the injury that he had sustained while fielding in a test match in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago has taken too long to heal and he has now been suggested by the specialists to take a complete break of one and half months from the game.
It means not only will Shaheen have to sit out of the Asia Cup 2022, he will have to sit out of the T20I series against England as well, which will be played in Pakistan and is one of the most anticipated series already because England would be touring Pakistan after a long time.
Waqar Younis believes Shaheen Afridi might have created problems for Indian top order again
- Waqar Younis, through a tweet, tried to suggest if Shaheen Afridi was available to play in the Asia Cup, he might have create problems for India with the early new ball swing again, as India has had struggled against left arm fast bowlers in big tournaments in the last few years.
Shaheen’s injury Big relief for the Indian top order batsmen. Sad we won’t be seeing him in #AsiaCup2022 Get fit soon Champ @iShaheenAfridi pic.twitter.com/Fosph7yVHs
— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) August 20, 2022
It remains to be seen if the Pakistan chief selector Muhammad Wasim goes for another left armer to replace Shaheen in Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad or they will back the youngster Naseem Shah to fill the temporary void created by the absence of Shaheen in their T20I bowling line-up.
