Pakistan cricket team had to suffer a massive blow ahead of the Asia Cup as ace pacer Shaheen Afridi was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury. Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq has now provided a big update on his side’s bowling attack. Mushtaq, a former Pakistan spinner, believes that in absence of Afridi, pacers Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah can certainly make things tougher for Indian batters in the Asia Cup.
Mushtaq opined that the three Pakistan fast bowlers have been in fine form in recent times and they have the ability to change the fate of a match whenever they want.
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“Since the last few years, these three have been executing the plans and demands of the Pakistan team really well. The captain, I as the head coach, and the entire support staff have confidence in their abilities. Shaheen used to lead the attack, but these three, on a given day or situation, can change the game and give a tough run to India,” Mushtaq said at a press conference.
Afridi had suffered a right knee ligament injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month. And, the seriousness of the injury is so much that it is still not certain whether he will be able to feature in the T20I series against England in September.
The left-arm pacer had single-handedly dismantled the Indian batters in the T20 World Cup match back in October last year. Afridi had dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul as India managed to score 151 runs in 20 overs. The Babar Azam-led side had eventually reached the target with 13 balls to spare and registered a convincing 10-wicket victory.
Meanwhile, Afridi was recently spotted interacting with several Indian cricketers. Afridi, in a video published by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was seen having a discussion with players like Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal and Rishabh Pant.
Stars align ahead of the #AsiaCup2022 🤩
A high-profile meet and greet on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/c5vsNCi6xw
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 25, 2022
Team India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, will start their Asia Cup title defence with a high-profile match against Pakistan on August 28 at the Dubai International Stadium.
India, the most successful team in the history of the Asia Cup, have been placed in Group A along with Pakistan and Hong Kong.
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