Srinagar: Pakistan pace legend Waqar Younis has raised concern over the status of Pakistan spearhead pacer Shaheen Afridi and also lack of pace in Pakistan bowling lineup.
The curreng Pakistan pace attack in Australia lacks genuine pace with almost all clocking in mid and lower 130kph. While Shaheen Afridi used to bowl in around 145kph to 150kph, he has also lost his pace thus affecting his performance.
In the first Test, despite some discomfort to the Australian batters in the second innings, Pakistan’s fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khurram Shahzad, Aamer Jamal, and Faheem Ashraf – struggled to reach high speeds, rarely crossing the 140kph mark.
Pakistan’s substantial 360-run defeat, coupled with Shahzad’s injury, has added to their challenges.
“I’m not really sure what’s wrong with him. If he’s not fit, if he’s got some issues, he needs to go away from the game and fix that because if you are going to carry on like that you are going to become a medium-pacer. He used to bowl 145-150kph and used to swing that ball. What I’m seeing now, yes there’s a little bit of swing but his pace is way down… and that is not going to get him wickets,” Waqar Younis said about Shaheen Afridi during a talk show on ESPN.
Waqar also highlighted the absence of genuine pace in the bowling attack, a stark contrast to Pakistan’s historic reputation for formidable fast bowlers.
“Another thing that I’m worried about is that always when we come to Australia, one thing that excites is the fast bowling and this time around I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing medium-pacers or slow-medium-pacers, allrounders, there’s no real pace. People used to come and watch Pakistan pace bowlers really running in hard and bowling 150 clicks [kph], and that’s what I’m not seeing there,” Waqar said.
“That’s my worry and issue because I have not seen it at the domestic level also. There are a few injured, I can understand, but in the past you would always see a battery of fast bowlers that they could always bring on, but unfortunately that is not there and I’m really worried about that,” he added.