Shadab must be under a lot of strain, yet powerful people are able to get out of sticky circumstances, according to Afridi
Following Pakistan’s defeat against England in the second T20I at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, former skipper Shahid Afridi reached out to leg-spinner Shadab Khan after he recorded his worst bowling figures in T20Is.
In the match on Saturday, Babar Azam’s side was bowled out for 160 while chasing a target of 184, with England securing their eighth win in the last 11 T20Is against Pakistan. Shadab conceded 55 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket, matching his worst figures from a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against Peshawar Zalmi in 2021.
Afridi, speaking to a local news channel, revealed he had a chat with Shadab after the match to offer support and advice. “I need Shadab to deliver with the ball. Whenever he has performed, Pakistan has won. We had a detailed chat where I asked him about his guidance and identified his mistakes,” Afridi said.
Afridi emphasized the importance of confidence and proper guidance. “I called him because I know he is going through a difficult time. I always try to help and motivate players who are struggling. We discussed his approach and I hope he implements our discussion in training sessions,” he added.
When asked if Shadab had a mental block, Afridi questioned the absence of a leg-spin coach in the team. “Is there any leg-spin coach with the team? Saeed Ajmal was there, but he is an off-spinner. Ajmal should be asked if he guided Shadab and why he isn’t following the advice.”
Afridi acknowledged the pressure on Shadab but expressed confidence in his ability to overcome it. “Big players know how to pull themselves out of such situations. I shared a couple of issues I noticed with his bowling, and I’m hopeful he will work on those things,” Afridi concluded.
