Pakistan pace star Shaheen says ‘best yet to come’
COLOMBO: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has warned of his destructive spell against arch-rivals India that set the Asia Cup on fire with the World Cup just weeks away.
The left-arm pacer destroyed the Indian top-order in last week’s Group A encounter, taking 4-35 off star batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
That game was washed out, but they meet again in Colombo on Sunday in the Super Fours of the Asian Cup, a precursor to the Over-50 World Cup starting next month.
And Shaheen told AFP there was more to come.
“Every match against India is special and people watch a lot,” the 23-year-old said on Friday. “I was waiting for this match as a fan before I played U-16 cricket.
“I can’t say it was my best spell so far. This is just the beginning and there will be more, so the best is yet to come.
With his ability to move the ball in both directions, Shaheen leads one of the most potent rushing attacks in the world.
“When you play all three formats in Pakistan at such a young age and handle the new ball, people expect that kind of performance from you,” he said.
Shaheen and his teammates Naseem Shah and Harris Rauf have taken 23 wickets in the Asia Cup so far.
“We know our role in the new ball and the old ball,” Shaheen said.
“Haris is faster than us and impresses with his pace. Naseem and I are trying to achieve quick success. ”
“The communication between us is good,” he added. “And this is our success.”
Afridi’s advice
Shaheen, who is 1.98m tall, suffered a serious knee injury last year but made a strong comeback in Sri Lanka in July.
“The time of the match helps in development. These Tests against Sri Lanka have improved me recently as I bowled long overs and fielded all day,” said Shaheen, who has 105 wickets in 27 Tests.
“That cleared up any doubt about the knee injury.”
Shaheen has never played cricket in India – bilateral cricket ties have frozen due to political tensions between the neighbours.
He is looking forward to put in a good performance when he takes on hosts India in the World Cup on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
“We had a discussion with all the foreign players who played in the IPL (Indian Premier League). I think our wickets in Pakistan or our pitches in Dubai will be the same.
