- Joined
- Aug 12, 2023
- Runs
- 24,170
Shaheen Shah Afridi spoke in a post-match press conference following Pakistan’s defeat to England in the Super Eight clash:
Reporter: You started well, reduced them to 35 for 3, but you didn't get Harry Brook out. How good was his innings today?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I think this was the best innings of his life. He deserves a lot of credit for playing proper cricketing shots. The wicket was not easy; if you look at his teammates, they were all struggling. However, looking at his knock, you have to give him credit.
Reporter: You played with Harry Brook in the PSL for the Lahore Qalandars. How much has he improved since then?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: When we first picked him for Lahore, I don’t think he had even played for England yet—he was just playing County and Under-19 cricket. Since then, he has played a lot on Asian wickets and improved significantly. He used to bat at four or five, but today he came in at three. He showed that he is a leader who can take responsibility in big games.
On His Comeback and Team Performance
Reporter: Shaheen, you made a strong comeback today. You were dropped for the last match, but you returned to take four wickets. What are your thoughts on that? Also, Pakistan has been defeated again. We seem to face this same situation in every World Cup—why do we keep getting stuck?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: These things happen in cricket, but we are still in the tournament and anything can happen. We are focused on the next opportunity and winning our next match. We’ll see what happens; I hope New Zealand loses their game. Regarding being dropped, my focus is simply on working on my bowling, maintaining my rhythm, and doing the "normal things" well so I can deliver results for the team.
Reporter: You are now the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in this match, yet the team lost. How are you feeling?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I’m feeling sad.
On Batting and Team Strategy
Reporter: Looking at the batting, Pakistan was 84 for 3 in the 12th over. England was about 20 runs ahead at the same stage despite losing more wickets. Why did Pakistan slow down in the middle overs?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: On a wicket like this, you need a partnership. You need a set batsman who can bat through those middle overs. Unfortunately, we lost wickets back-to-back, which prevented us from reaching a score of 180 or 190. If you look at Harry Brook, even when wickets fell at the other end, he stayed at the crease, rotated the strike, and built a partnership. We missed that opportunity to build a solid stand.
Reporter: A word on Babar’s innings? He was building a nice partnership with Sahibzada Farhan, but once he was dismissed, things went downhill.
Shaheen Shah Afridi: To build a partnership in T20 cricket, you need someone at the crease who can find boundaries while also taking singles and doubles to maintain a run rate of eight or nine an over. I also think Adil Rashid bowled very well during that middle phase; credit goes to him as well.
On Bowling Tactics and Conditions
Reporter: There has been talk in the media about your pace dropping. Today, your wickets came mostly from back-of-a-length deliveries. Are you focusing more on varying your length now?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I don't feel the need to prove my "place" in the team. There is always room for improvement, and I always try to give 100% for Pakistan. Regarding the lengths: if the wicket suits a specific length, why wouldn't I bowl there? They were struggling with those deliveries, so I kept hitting that same spot.
Reporter: Did getting a wicket in that first over help you find your rhythm after being out of the team?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: My job is to take early wickets; that’s why I bowl the first over. Today, my only plan was how to take wickets for Pakistan. I’m not trying to "prove" anything to anyone else; I am just trying to improve myself every time I play.
Reporter: Was the loss due to the dew or were you short on runs? Was the target defendable?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: It’s easy to blame everyone and say everyone made mistakes. Sahibzada Farhan played well, and Harry Brook and Will Jacks have played well in this tournament. But as I said, you need partnerships. You need 170–180 on these pitches to have a defendable total. The dew did make it easier for the ball to come onto the bat in the later overs, which is why we struggled to defend at the end.
On Coaching and Fielding
Reporter: As an ODI captain yourself, what do you think of Mike Hesson’s philosophy of relying heavily on all-rounders versus using specialists?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: That’s a hard question. He is the head coach and has a specific mindset. He knows how to run a team better than we do, and he is responsible for those decisions. I can’t give you a definitive answer on that.
Reporter: There were several mistakes from both sides in the field today—catches dropped and fumbles. What happened?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: Yes, we missed some chances in the field. We have fielded well throughout the tournament, but today there was a bit of a collapse in that department.
Reporter: You started well, reduced them to 35 for 3, but you didn't get Harry Brook out. How good was his innings today?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I think this was the best innings of his life. He deserves a lot of credit for playing proper cricketing shots. The wicket was not easy; if you look at his teammates, they were all struggling. However, looking at his knock, you have to give him credit.
Reporter: You played with Harry Brook in the PSL for the Lahore Qalandars. How much has he improved since then?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: When we first picked him for Lahore, I don’t think he had even played for England yet—he was just playing County and Under-19 cricket. Since then, he has played a lot on Asian wickets and improved significantly. He used to bat at four or five, but today he came in at three. He showed that he is a leader who can take responsibility in big games.
On His Comeback and Team Performance
Reporter: Shaheen, you made a strong comeback today. You were dropped for the last match, but you returned to take four wickets. What are your thoughts on that? Also, Pakistan has been defeated again. We seem to face this same situation in every World Cup—why do we keep getting stuck?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: These things happen in cricket, but we are still in the tournament and anything can happen. We are focused on the next opportunity and winning our next match. We’ll see what happens; I hope New Zealand loses their game. Regarding being dropped, my focus is simply on working on my bowling, maintaining my rhythm, and doing the "normal things" well so I can deliver results for the team.
Reporter: You are now the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in this match, yet the team lost. How are you feeling?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I’m feeling sad.
On Batting and Team Strategy
Reporter: Looking at the batting, Pakistan was 84 for 3 in the 12th over. England was about 20 runs ahead at the same stage despite losing more wickets. Why did Pakistan slow down in the middle overs?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: On a wicket like this, you need a partnership. You need a set batsman who can bat through those middle overs. Unfortunately, we lost wickets back-to-back, which prevented us from reaching a score of 180 or 190. If you look at Harry Brook, even when wickets fell at the other end, he stayed at the crease, rotated the strike, and built a partnership. We missed that opportunity to build a solid stand.
Reporter: A word on Babar’s innings? He was building a nice partnership with Sahibzada Farhan, but once he was dismissed, things went downhill.
Shaheen Shah Afridi: To build a partnership in T20 cricket, you need someone at the crease who can find boundaries while also taking singles and doubles to maintain a run rate of eight or nine an over. I also think Adil Rashid bowled very well during that middle phase; credit goes to him as well.
On Bowling Tactics and Conditions
Reporter: There has been talk in the media about your pace dropping. Today, your wickets came mostly from back-of-a-length deliveries. Are you focusing more on varying your length now?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: I don't feel the need to prove my "place" in the team. There is always room for improvement, and I always try to give 100% for Pakistan. Regarding the lengths: if the wicket suits a specific length, why wouldn't I bowl there? They were struggling with those deliveries, so I kept hitting that same spot.
Reporter: Did getting a wicket in that first over help you find your rhythm after being out of the team?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: My job is to take early wickets; that’s why I bowl the first over. Today, my only plan was how to take wickets for Pakistan. I’m not trying to "prove" anything to anyone else; I am just trying to improve myself every time I play.
Reporter: Was the loss due to the dew or were you short on runs? Was the target defendable?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: It’s easy to blame everyone and say everyone made mistakes. Sahibzada Farhan played well, and Harry Brook and Will Jacks have played well in this tournament. But as I said, you need partnerships. You need 170–180 on these pitches to have a defendable total. The dew did make it easier for the ball to come onto the bat in the later overs, which is why we struggled to defend at the end.
On Coaching and Fielding
Reporter: As an ODI captain yourself, what do you think of Mike Hesson’s philosophy of relying heavily on all-rounders versus using specialists?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: That’s a hard question. He is the head coach and has a specific mindset. He knows how to run a team better than we do, and he is responsible for those decisions. I can’t give you a definitive answer on that.
Reporter: There were several mistakes from both sides in the field today—catches dropped and fumbles. What happened?
Shaheen Shah Afridi: Yes, we missed some chances in the field. We have fielded well throughout the tournament, but today there was a bit of a collapse in that department.
