NEW DELHI: The Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has emphasized how important their series against England ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies is going to be for them.
In Pakistan’s recent 2-1 T20I triumph over Ireland, they had a morale boosting victory that keeps them focused on preparations towards the best team formation.
Afridi admitted that these warm-up matches are very crucial for Pakistan to get ready and work on areas that need fixing. He praised Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who he thought were “world class players” who understand what they are doing on this pitch.
“There are a few areas we got to work on before the World Cup,” Afridi said.
Shaheen stated, “They’re both world-class players (Babar and Rizwan); they know how to play their role and they have done really well on this pitch.”
During their chase for 179, Babar’s splendid performance with six boundaries and four sixes from only 42 balls reduced pressure from Pakistan.
He mentioned strong communication between him and Rizwan citing years of playing together as an explanation as well as focusing on their strong points while tracking the required run rate.
“We were able to execute our plans; there were many positives for us. We have a big tournament coming up so it’s good practice; now we are looking forward to the England series,” Babar added.
Pakistan will then travel over to England after completing the Ireland series, where there will be a four-match T20I series which will give them one last chance of deciding upon their preferred team composition before arriving at the World Cup. The event will begin on May 22nd at Headingley Carnegie and end on May 30th at The Oval in London.
