KARACHI: Left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi revelled in his firstinternational wickets for Pakistan, braving winter temperatures that dippedas low as 13°C to take the wickets of Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and D’ArcyShort during his team’s 45-run win over Australia in Harare on Thursday.
“This is by far the coldest day of cricket I’ve ever played,” said Afridi,who found his way into Pakistan’s T20I squad after turning heads with someremarkable performances in the Pakistan Super League, played today in placeof the rested Hasan Ali, and now has found his way into the wickets column.
With the ball hooping through the air and jagging off the pitch, Afridifound the inside edge of Finch’s bat and then beat Maxwell with one thatdipped and curved into his pads. “Since yesterday I’ve been planning ongetting these two wickets and trying to work out how to get them outearly,” said Afridi. He also added the dismissal of Short, flattening theleft-hander’s leg stump as Australia’s chase completely lost its way.
With the rest of the attack also chipping in with wickets and the matchnever out of Pakistan’s control, this was a far improved performance andAfridi said that captain Sarfraz Ahmed – who had some harsh words for histeam despite their win yesterday – was much happier with them. “He’sdefinitely happy with the bowling attack today,” said Afridi. “He’s thecaptain, and sometimes that happens when he’s unhappy, but today he wasmuch happier with our performance.”
Where Australia had gone for the aggressive tactic of banging the ball inshort this morning, Pakistan’s attack pitched it up more often than not toutilize the swing and seam on offer. “I think they didn’t take advantage ofthe pitch,” said Afridi. “The ball was seaming around a lot, and that’s whywe pitched it up.” At just 18, Afridi is at the very beginning of hisprofessional sporting career but his performances to date have alreadydrawn comparisons to a young Mitchell Starc from Pakistan coach MickeyArthur.
He took 8 for 39 in his first ever Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match – the bestever by a Pakistani on first-class debut, and then claimed the best everfigures in PSL history with his 5 for 4 against the Multan Sultans earlierthis year. During the same tournament, he shrugged off being hit for six byShahid Afridi (his namesake, but no direct relation) to knock the T20legend’s stumps down with his very next ball.
It is no wonder, then, that he seems to have taken very easily tointernational cricket. “Shahid Afridi is a very big name, not just in ourcountry but globally,” he said. “He hit me for six first ball in the PSL,but with the next one I got him out. I was very happy about that. AfterPSL, I don’t think any international match is tough for me. After that, I’mcalm playing international cricket.”