Shan Masood Backs Shaheen Afridi’s Resilience for Boxing Day Test Against Australia at MCG
Following his difficult showing in the first Test match against Australia in Perth, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has received resolute support from Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood.
Masood recently acknowledged in a press conference the challenges of coming back from a major injury, especially for a fast bowler like Afridi who had to contend with issues with velocity and the physical demands of bowling.
Based on his encounter with an analogous injury, the captain emphasized Afridi’s great self-control and determination in achieving a triumphant return.
It’s never easy to recover from a major injury, particularly for a fast bowler like Shaheen who has to contend with bowling forces and tempo. His return demonstrates extraordinary self-control and determination. Having suffered a comparable injury, I am aware of the challenges
. In every format, Shaheen has excelled for Pakistan, and there will inevitably be difficulties. He bowled effectively in Perth despite plays and misses, and sometimes an opposing team will play off their greatest bowler and then take advantage, according to Shan Masood.
The left-hand batter expressed optimism about the young pacer’s ability to quickly swing a match in Pakistan’s favor, despite some bad luck in Perth.
“Shaheen was expensive, but that’s his style. Despite some tough luck in Perth, he has the potential to turn a match around instantly. We’re optimistic about his performance for Pakistan here,” he said.
It is worth noting that the Boxing Day match between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled to take place from December 26 to December 30 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Australia named an unchanged XI on Monday for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as they look to seal the series against Pakistan.
Pakistan also named a 12-man squad with Sarfaraz Ahmed and speedster Faheem Ashraf axed.
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Pakistan XII: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan.
