Shaheen Shah Afridi, a prominent Pakistani fast bowler, has responded to criticism of his decreased bowling velocity following a string of injuries.
Shaheen Afridi emphasised that his primary focus is on obtaining wickets rather than depending exclusively on pure speed in response to inquiries regarding his pace during an interview.
The left-arm bowler showed confidence in his ability to further hone his abilities and recapture his prior bowling speed with time and additional game appearances.
“Everyone has an opinion on the speed, but I’ve been in good shape. You are feeling fantastic even if you are bowling at 110 kph and getting wickets,” Shaheen added. The speedster stated that he has been making an effort to perform at his highest level on the pitch since that is what matters most and his ability to take wickets has not diminished.
Also Read: Shaheen Afridi confident that Pakistan would win the ODI World Cup 2023.
The 23-year-old pacer claimed to have a long-term injury, but he has observed an improvement in his bowling since the ninth Pakistan Super League (PSL) competition. “I suffered an injury two months before the T20 World Cup in 2022 and again two to three months later.
Therefore, full recovery will take time, Shaheen noted. Due to a drop in bowling speed during the white-ball series in New Zealand, Shaheen made news and many former cricketers expressed worry. Last month, Ramiz Raja, the current chairman of the PCB and a former cricketer, stated that Shaheen “needs to increase his average speed of 136 and go up by a notch or two.”
