Pakistan skipper Shaheen Afridi named the two potential talents identified during the T20I series against New Zealand. He hailed Abbas Afridi and Saim Ayub as two promising individuals and believes the duo can have good prospects for the team going ahead.
Pakistan suffered a horrific 4-1 loss in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. It was a horrible outing for them with the bat and ball in the series as they looked clueless and lost four straight matches in the series before winning the last game.
Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as the T20I skipper started on a disappointing note. But despite the loss in the series, there were some positives for them. One among them was pacer Abbas Afridi, who impressed many with his skills with the ball in the three games.
In the three matches that he played, the fast bowler picked five wickets at an average of 16. The pacer was impressive with the ball in the death as well and helped the team restrict some runs. He also was handy with the bat down the order and played a crucial cameo for the team in the last game.
Shaheen Afridi lauded the pacer for his impressive outings along with his fielding and believes that Abbas can bring more stability to the bowling unit for the team. The skipper also lauded his cameo of 14 runs in the fifth game. Speaking to reporters, he stated:
“Abbas Afridi is a very good fielder and a batsman. his bowling is already good. He can bring more stability in the bowling unit. He is always looking for an opportunity to get a game and give his best. In today’s match as well, he was useful with the bat. Abbas Afridi is a very good prospect for Pakistan,” Shaheen Afridi stated.
He can serve Pakistan well – Shaheen Afridi on Saim Ayub
Shaheen Afridi was in awe of the young batter Saim Ayub as well. The Pakistan captain admitted that the batter didn’t have the series but the left-hander can serve Pakistan. Speaking about the batter, he explained:
“Saim Ayub is another. Although he couldn’t perform the way it was expected of him, but, he has the ability to serve Pakistan well.”
Saim Ayub made his debut in the first Test and impressed many with his brutal stroke play. He played a game of 27 runs and announced his arrival on the international stage with a bang. However, after that, he didn’t get going at all and bagged a series of low scores.
Saim Ayub was dropped from the team for the last game but with the kind of ability he has, he surely would be in contention for the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. The batter has been highly impressive in the domestic circuit as well as the Pakistan Super League (PSL). It remains to be seen how he will make his comeback. Management would be hoping to give him a longer rope before taking any call on his future in the shortest format of the game.
