Umran Malik had returned with 22 wickets in IPL 2022© BCCI/IPL
Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has been in fine form across formats for the past few years. Shaheen Afridi, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers award for the men’s cricketer of the year in 2021, has been tormenting batters from across the globe with his swing, and line and length. On being asked about New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson and young India fast bowler Umran Malik‘s mindboggling speeds in the IPL, Shaheen said that raw pace is of no use without line, length and swing.
“Speed se kuch nahi hota (speed is of no use),” he said when asked if he wanted to improve his pace, with the likes of Ferguson and Umran registering high speeds.
“I haven’t thought about bowling so fast. I personally believe, speed is of no use. If you don’t have line, length and swing, you can’t beat the batter easily. Nevertheless, I try to focus on my fitness so that my pace can also increase. Hopefully, I will be able to generate more pace and my line and length will also get better,” Shaheen said during a press conference.
With Pakistan set to take on the West Indies in a three-match ODI series, Shaheen said that he will try to give his best for the team even though the extreme weather conditions might be a hurdle for the pacers.
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“The weather is hot but we are looking forward to playing good cricket in it. It would be a tough challenge for the fast bowlers to bowl long spells in summer but as a professional, we are ready to face it,” he added.
Pakistan’s upcoming series against the West Indies was supposed to take place in December last year, but was postponed due to multiple Covid cases in the visitors’ camp.
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