Shahid Afridi praised Hardik Pandya for his cricketing skills and feels he is a better finisher than Asif Ali and other players from Pakistan. Hardik Pandya and Asif Ali are two talented cricketers from India and Pakistan respectively. They have shown some exciting performances to float their teams to a thumping victory on many occasions but of the two why Afridi thinks Hardik Pandya is a better cricketer.
Both India and Pakistan are playing their ongoing T20 cricket series against South Africa and England respectively on their home grounds. India is playing some good cricket after the early Asia Cup debacle. They won the 3T20I bilateral series against Australia recently in India. Now they are up against South Africa in an ongoing T20 series in India. Earlier in the series against Australia in the first T20 match, India could not defend 208 runs and Australia won the first T20 match by 4 wickets. But India came back strongly and showed some exceptional grit and amazing performances against Australia and won the series 2-1.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has also welcomed the England cricket team after 17 years in the country for 7 T20 matches in Karachi and Lahore. Pakistan after conceding defeat against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup finals is now showing some spectacular match-winning performances against England.
Pakistan outclassed England with some impressive knocks by Captain Baber Azam (109 off 63) and no.1 T20 batsman Mohammad Rizwan (88 off 68) in the second T20 match played in Lahore. Barber and Rizwan are probably the world’s best opening pair right now in world cricket. They are consistently performing as openers for Pakistan but their middle order is struggling badly. Khushdil is not able to time the ball well. Mohammad Nawaz played a sensible knock (42 his best in T20I) against India in the Asia cup to lead his team to a winning position but remained inconsistent in other matches.
Iftikhar finished the game for Pakistan and won the match against India in the Asia cup with some quick big hits but again lacked consistency. Shadab is a good all-arounder for Pakistan, he bowls well and has given some tough times to batsmen through his variety of deliveries but as a batsman, he has not shown that strength in the middle order. Asif Ali is a big hitter of the ball, he has won Pakistan some crucial games but he is also struggling in the ongoing T20 series against England.
This is why Pakistan’s former cricketers lashed out at the PCB for selecting underperforming players for the T20 World cup 2022. PCB chairman is facing huge criticism for not picking Shoaib Malik for T20 World Cup 2022 to strengthen the middle order. Former players believe his presence in the team could have made a difference and strengthened the team’s middle-order.
Pakistan’s Former Captain and allrounder, Shahid Khan Afridi has also expressed disappointment for not selecting Shoaib Malik for T20 World Cup 2022. “He has played cricket across the globe and has done well everywhere. He is a top choice for every franchise. He is also supremely fit. Babar Azam would have gotten a lot of support if Malik had been there, even if he was on the bench,” Afridi said. “The selectors should have communicated with him if he wasn’t a part of their plans,” he added
Afridi also expressed dismay over the performance of the middle-order batsmen in the ongoing series against England and feels Pakistan lacks a finisher like Hardik Pandya. He thinks Pandya is most consistent in the middle order for India. Hardik Pandya played a spectacular inning of 33 off just 17 balls against Pakistan to guide his team to a thumping win in the Asia cup in Abu Dhabi. He smashed 71 off just 39 balls in 1st T20 and 25 runs off 16 deliveries in the last T20 against Australia.
Shahid Afridi praises this young All-rounder for his consistent form and his big hitting. While talking to Samaa TV, Shahid Afridi said, “This kind of a finisher (like Pandya) we don’t have. We thought Asif Ali, and Khushdil would do the job but they haven’t. Nawaz is also not that consistent, and neither is Shadab. Among these four players, at least two need to be consistent. The period in which Shadab bowls is very crucial. The day he does a good job with the ball, Pakistan wins,“.
The Indian cricket team has highly talented cricketers who can lift their team to the top level in the T20 world cup 2022. The likes of Surya Kuma, Virat Kholi, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya can change the complexion of the game through their athletic performances.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team lacks lustre in the middle-order although their bowling is at its best. Haris Rauf has been economical, especially in the death overs. Aamer Jamal, in his debut match against England, has been impressive. Shadab and Nawaz are surprising packets in the Pakistan team and Iftikhar also can’t be taken as an easy bowler. He has shown his best in the matches against England. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah in the team will make the bowling department stronger.
Both India and Pakistan have great and young talented players in their teams who can play match-winning innings for their teams. Although there are some weak patches in both the teams that can create a problem for teams but overall both are in good knick. So, let’s hope for some sensational cricket from India and Pakistan and see how Hardik Pandya and other big hitters keep their form in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022.