Former Pakistan pace bowler, Mohammad Amir, has spoken about the potential of young fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi, to become an all-rounder for Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The upcoming World Cup is scheduled to take place in India later this year.
Afridi has demonstrated impressive batting skills in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). He has scored a half-century and has been promoted in the batting order on a few occasions with successful outcomes. Amir is confident that with more focus and hard work on his batting, Afridi can become an all-rounder like India’s Hardik Pandya in limited-overs cricket.
Amir said, “If he keeps working on this and believes that he can improve his batting, then definitely. Practice makes you perfect. I saw that he can hit long sixes and scored a fifty as well.”
Amir emphasized that with the pace of modern cricket, versatile batsmen are becoming increasingly valuable. He suggested that Pakistan should consider utilizing Afridi’s batting abilities in the upcoming World Cup. Amir stated, “Textbook cricket has become redundant now. And these days, batters have become so versatile with their gameplan so you can use different batters in different situations. So yes, Pakistan should consider this.”
Currently, Afridi’s ODI record consists of 102 runs in 16 innings at an average of 17 with a strike rate of 70. With the World Cup coming up, the young fast bowler will undoubtedly be looking to improve his batting skills and make a significant contribution to the Pakistan cricket team.