Shaheen Shah Afridi is only one wicket away from getting to the 100th wicket of her test career. Currently, Pakistan is facing Sri Lanka in a warm-up match.
Shaheen Shah Afridi hadn’t worn whites for Pakistan since suffering a knee injury in the first of two Test matches at Galle last year when he opened the bowling for Pakistan on Tuesday in a two-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.
Before tea, Pakistan bowled out the opposition for 196 after picking up three wickets for 36 runs in 12 overs, three of which were maidens.
He scored 4-2-2-1 on the last day as the hosts could only muster 88 for four after Pakistan put 342 in thanks to half-centuries from Shan Masood, Babar Azam, and Saud Shakeel.
On his comeback, he released a statement in which he expressed his excitement to return to the world of test cricket.
Shaheen Shah Afridi 100th Test Wicket
“I am very excited to be making my Test comeback in the country where I was injured,” Shaheen told PCB Digital in Hambantota. “Injuries are part of an athlete’s life, but it is good to be back. I enjoy red-ball cricket a lot, and I am one wicket away from a century of Test wickets, which would be a big achievement for me.”
We all know Shaheen Khan Afridi was caught with a severe knee injury that kept him from cricket for months and he returned for the T20 World Cup last year.
But in the final, he again injured himself badly and left the match in the crucial stage. For that he was criticized, even Shoaib Akhtar said he should have taken injections to stay on the pitch.
After recovery, winning PSL 8 for the second time in a row and demolishing English County batsmen he returned to the national test squad.
It Takes Time To Get Used To
“It takes time to get used to red-ball cricket after playing white-ball,” he said, adding: “But the Karachi camp proved beneficial for me.
Test cricket demands patience and you have to work in partnerships with fellow bowlers.
Over the last year, I have played more white-ball matches, but when I was playing in the United Kingdom, I bowled extra overs after matches – even with the red ball – to meet the desired workload.
“It seems like yesterday when I was injured. I will be making my Test return at the same ground where I was injured. I was talking to our physiotherapist about it. It is a matter of pride to represent Pakistan in any format, and I enjoy playing for Pakistan.
I hope we will have a good beginning to this cycle of the World Test Championship, and we will qualify for the final, something we have missed in the last two iterations.”
His bowling style and wrist is unique. Even Dale Steyn also praised Shaheen Shah Afridi wrist movement.
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