Shaheen Afridi (ACC Photo)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was at his lethal best in his team’s do-or-die Super Four clash against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, picking up three crucial wickets in a must-win encounter that kept Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 hopes alive.After the match, a reporter asked Shaheen about the scrutiny he faces whenever Pakistan meets India.“My question is that whenever there is a Pakistan-India match, everyone is watching Shaheen Afridi. But in the last 4-5 matches, Shaheen Afridi didn’t give such a performance. So, in the next match, if there is a Pakistan-India final, can we see Shaheen Afridi’s out-of-form form again?” the journalist asked.Afridi responded with a cheeky smile, saying: “Are you trying to drop me? (laugh).” “Agar Shaheen Afridi Pakistan se khelega to apni jaan bhi de dega. [If Shaheen Afridi plays against Pakistan, he will give up his life”The Asia Cup has also witnessed several incidents of aggressive behaviour from Pakistani players — both towards fans and opposition — and Afridi was asked whether this aggression was part of a pre-planned strategy by players such as Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan.While Rauf appeared to mock Indian fans, Farhan’s gun-firing celebration during the Super Four clash on Sunday also drew criticism.“There is no specific plan to be aggressive, we have always been aggressive, from the time we started playing. This is how cricket is played and the team morale is kept high,” Afridi explained.When asked whether the team had discussed a possible India-Pakistan final, Afridi was quick to downplay the hype.“We are not in the final yet, when we reach, we will think about it,” he said.When pressed further about “what’s been going on” between the two sides, Afridi replied cheekily:“Kya chal raha hai?”Asked specifically about Rauf and Farhan’s on-field behaviour, Afridi preferred not to comment directly.“Our job is to play cricket, people can think what they want. We are here to win Asia Cup. We are trying our best to fulfil Pakistan’s hopes,” he said.Reflecting on Pakistan’s nervy chase of 133 against Sri Lanka, Afridi admitted that T20 cricket’s unpredictable nature makes it difficult for every player to fire simultaneously.“Credit to Hussain (Talat) and (Mohammad) Nawaz for handling pressure. T20 is like this only, everyone doesn’t perform at the same time,” he said.On his own performances with both bat and ball — and whether Pakistan’s fast bowlers have underperformed — Afridi was clear about his responsibilities.“My job is to fulfil the role assigned to me whether it is batting or bowling. Doesn’t matter if I am injured or unwell. My job is to keep team morale high and perform well,” he stated.“It’s not that we are not winning, we have won but we haven’t won against bigger teams. I don’t think our fast bowlers are struggling. T20 format is such that batsmen find it easier to hit on good wickets. But we should have more variation in our bowling and we are striving for that,” he added.Looking ahead to Thursday’s clash against Bangladesh, Afridi said Pakistan would look to dominate from the very start.“Bangladesh is a good team and has played good cricket of late. We have to punch first against them, we have to play good cricket,” he said.
