Updated March 18th 2025, 13:05 IST
NZ vs Pak: Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has a reputation for picking up early wickets, but in recent times, he has failed to live upto the expectations. Be it the Champions Trophy or the two T20Is that followed against New Zealand. Afridi has been facing the heat and things are not getting any better.
During the second T20I versus NZ as well, Afridi was expensive. He conceded 31 runs in three overs. Not just plaudits or fans, even kids have lost faith from the ace pacer.
The video which is now going viral showcases a kid asking Shahid Afridi about his son-in-law Shaheen Afridi and if he plays in the Pakistan Cricket Team to which Shahid Afridi said yes. The kid had a hilarious counter-question to Afridi's reply and she ended up asking that why is Shaheen playing for Pakistan Cricket Team.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has ended up losing both the T20I games. Now, with three more games to go, it is all to play for from the point of view of the Men in Green.
"It was freezing. It was a good game compared to the last game. We batted batter. Fielding was outstanding. Bowling in patches was good. The bounce we need to understand is different. After the powerplay, we bowled well," Pakistan captain Salman Agha said at the post-match presentation.
The Salman Agha-led side would be extremely low in confidence and they would desperately be looking for inspiration from somewhere. The third T20I would be played on March 21 at Eden Park. That would give Pakistan time to reboot. Can they turn it around and start winning games? It will certainly not be easy against a formidable NZ side.
Published March 18th 2025, 13:05 IST