Abdul Rauf
Former Test cricketer Abdul Rauf has claimed that star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will never be able to replicate his past performance. Although Shaheen Shah Afridi is considered the backbone of Pakistan’s national bowling attack in the current team, there has been growing concern about his performance in recent times.
Shaheen Afridi, known for terrorizing opposing batsmen, took only one wicket in the first innings of the ongoing Test match against Australia. Speaking in a sports program on private TV channel ARY News, former Test cricketer Abdul Rauf made a significant claim regarding the eligibility of Pakistani bowling attack for the upcoming Test. He stated that the current Pakistani bowling attack is not capable of dismissing the Australian team twice in five days.
Abdul Rauf has expressed more confidence in Shaheen Shah Afridi regarding PCB‘s (Pakistan Cricket Board) bowling, and his past performance has been outstanding. However, after the recent injury last year, he was rushed back to the field, affecting his speed and rhythm. Currently, he is seen bowling away from the off-stump, and I believe that fans may never see the bowling performance similar to his past.
Abdul Rauf further stated that if Shaheen Afridi‘s bio-mechanics are not corrected and excessive pressure is put on him, he might get injured again after just two Tests. He emphasized that when playing against a strong team in their home ground, it is essential to enter the field with a specialist, but unfortunately, for the Test, a team has been selected that lacks coordination. This team, with neither proper balance nor the ability to dismiss Australia twice, has been chosen.