Pakistan’s T20I captain Shaheen Afridi finds himself under scrutiny as fans notice a decline in his bowling speed since the ICC World Cup 2023.
The ongoing ILT20 league has brought this concern to light, revealing that Afridi’s pace is even slower than that of his teammate Mohammad Amir.
Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir are playing together for the Desert Vipers in ILT20, fulfilling a long-awaited dream for fans who have yearned to see them bowling together since 2020. While fans enjoy the two bowlers wreaking havoc on opponents together, they cannot stop comparing the two bowlers.
In a recent match against MI Emirates, Amir guided the Vipers to victory with the figures of 3-16, but Afridi went wicketless for 39 runs.
During the match, broadcasters shared the average bowling speeds of Vipers’ bowlers, showing Afridi as the slowest of them all. Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana topped the charts with a blistering 143.4, followed by Amir at 134.4, England’s Luke Wood at 132.5, and Afridi at 131.8.
Mohammad Amir's average pace (134.4 KPH) was more than Shaheen Afridi's average pace (131.8 KPH) last night 🤯
What should Shaheen do to increase his pace? 👀 #ILT20 pic.twitter.com/BzTNSBHuCq
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 31, 2024
Fans react over the reduced pace of Shaheen Afridi
This did not go unnoticed by cricket fans, who were already noticing the dip in Afridi’s pace, dropping from 150s to 130s.
Now, Shaheen is ‘Bhagta Howa Spinner’ 🤣
— A.Hanan Khan (@hanan_khan3) January 31, 2024
Shahenshah injury ka bad farugh hu gya
Amir sa compare ni kara kari shahenshah ko Amir jasa bowler ni aya Pakistan ma— ملک بلال اعوان😎 (@bilal288096) February 1, 2024
Tbh he should prioritise fitness, start lifting weights like akthar did, eat more protein based food, start bowling with weighted balls in the off season and bowl on 26 yard pitches, which help increase pace. Also look at his run up a bit.
— Adxm_Khxn (@adzzie05) January 31, 2024
Amir. Shaheen#ILT20#ShaheenAfridi#Amir
Pace you order. Pace you got
Through Daraz. 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/ZTUwPB8Xnd— sarwat.sheikh (@sarwatsheikh1) February 1, 2024
Shaheen Afridi was under fire for his low pace during the Test series against Australia too. Former captain Waqar Younis suggested that Afridi should take time off to avoid transitioning into a medium-pacer.
However, during a press conference, Afridi himself refuted the claims of being slower and blamed speed guns in Australia for showing a slower pace.
“To be honest, when we were bowling, we were watching the board [big screen] ourselves and thinking, ‘Are we really this [slow]?'” Afridi said.
“We were putting in so much effort, yet the speeds were coming up to 132-133 [kph]. We were surprised and were thinking ‘Has it been decided [by the broadcasters] that the speed gun won’t go above this?'”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir also voiced the same opinion as Waqar Younis, suggesting Afridi to take some rest, which will help him regain his pace back.
Why shaheen Shah Afridi's pace drop so much within last 3 to 4 months❓
Amir🗣️: Shaheen has been working hard, and he just needs some rest. After that, his pace will be back, and you'll see the old Shaheen again!#ShaheenAfridi #ILT20 pic.twitter.com/9faAPMLO9b
— Cric_Addictor (@cricadictor) January 31, 2024
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