Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi believes that Pakistan could have won the T20 World Cup if he is not injured during the 2022 T20 World Cup. The Left-arm pacer picked up a knee injury in the 13th over of England’s innings in the T20 World Cup final while taking a catch of Harry Brook as he walked out of the field.
The 23-year-old bowled only two overs before picking up the injury in the grand finals, as he walked into was handed the ball in the 16th over but could not continue after bowling his first ball itself, as he walked out off the field in pain.
Speaking on Espncricinfo, Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted that it was a dream to win the World Cup for Pakistan and reckons that the team had the best chance to win the championship if he had not been injured in the crucial moment of the final game against England.
“Obviously, it’s every player’s dream to win a World Cup for his country, And in this tournament (2022 T20 World Cup), if I didn’t get injured at such a crucial moment, maybe we could’ve won. Maybe if I had stayed fit and bowled… Injuries can happen at any time,” he added.
“If I think too much about them then I won’t be able to move ahead,” Shaheen Shah Afridi said
Shaheen Afridi is expected to play a vital role for Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023 and the left-arm pacer has grown with experience over the years and will look to lead the Pakistan pace attack in an all-important event.
Captaincy Is A Totally Different Job. But I’ve Enjoyed It Lot – Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shaheen Shah Afridi led the defending champions’ Lahore side in PSL 2023. Shaheen captained Lahore Qalandars for back-to-back titles – Qalandars is the first team to achieve the landmark in PSL.
Speaking on his captaincy skills, Afridi said that captaincy is different from his bowling, as a captain he needs the ability to keep every player on the same side and reckons that it is important to think about every player in the team if he leads a team and said that he enjoys doing captaincy.
“Captaincy is totally different from bowling, You have to keep the entire team on the same page with that. With bowling, you only think about what you are doing with the ball, how to bowl to the captain’s plans,” he said.
“With captaincy, you’re thinking about your bowling but also about every member of the team, what mood they’re in, how they’re feeling. That is a totally different job. But I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Shaheen Shah Afridi added.
Shaheen Afridi was the star performer for Lahore Qalandars throughout the league–and in the final Shaheen scored a 15-ball 44 not out–and took 4 for 51 to take his team to the second consecutive championship title in two years.
