Shaheen Afridi, the newly appointed T20I captain for Pakistan, recently expressed his surprise during a press conference about his reduced bowling speed in the Test series against Australia. The 23-year-old left-arm fast bowler noted that the speed guns displayed a reading of 132-133 kmph, a significant decrease from his usual performance where he consistently bowls above 140 kmph.
This revelation by Afridi caught the attention of many, leading to a flurry of reactions from cricket enthusiasts and fans on social media platforms. Netizens were quick to mock Afridi’s explanation, viewing it as an improbable excuse for the noticeable decline in the pace of the Pakistani bowlers throughout the Test matches against Australia.
The criticism intensified as many from the cricketing community voiced their concerns about the lacklustre medium-pace bowling exhibited by the Pakistani team.
Shaheen Afridi said: “To be honest, when we were bowling, we were watching the board [big screen] ourselves,. ‘Are we really this [slow]?’ We couldn’t understand. We had been bowling since the start, 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?’”
Among those who raised eyebrows was former Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, who openly questioned Afridi’s physical condition. Observing the discernible drop in pace during the two Tests that Afridi participated in, Younis’s remarks added fuel to the ongoing debate about the preparedness and performance of the Pakistani bowlers.
Waqar Younis said: “If he’s not fit, if he’s got some issues, I think he needs to go away from the game and fix that. If you’re just going to carry on like that, then you are going to become a medium pacer.”
“He used to bowl 145, 150 [kph] all days and bowl really quickly and swing that ball. What I’m seeing right now, yeah there’s a little bit of swing there, but his pace is way down.”
As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, all eyes will be on Afridi and his team, hoping to see an improvement and resurgence in their bowling prowess.
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