Shaheen Afridi blames speed guns for reduced pace in Test series vs Australia

Pakistan’s newly appointed T20I captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, pointed fingers at the speed guns for his low pace during the recently concluded Test series against Australia. Expressing his surprise, Afridi said that the speed gun displayed his pace at approximately 132-133 kmph, whereas he typically bowls at a pace exceeding the 140 kmph mark.

Right throughout the Test series, the Pakistan fast bowling unit faced criticism for their reduced speed on pitches that were conducive to high pace. Afridi, after a slow start to the series, managed to pick up eight wickets in the first two Tests with an average of 41.63 before being rested for the final match.

“To be honest, we were ourselves looking at the speed o’ meters and wondering, is this really us? Because we were unable to understand that despite putting in all the effort, the speeds were not going up. Seeing 130-132 kph was disheartening and we thought this was pre-decided that we won’t go above 130 kph,” Afridi said at a press conference ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s pre-series press conference.

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Afridi also talked about leading Pakistan in the T20I series against New Zealand and spoke about the challenges against one of the world’s top teams. The first T20I between New Zealand and Pakistan is scheduled to take place in Auckland today.

“It’s an exciting challenge and a proud moment for me to represent Pakistan. Being a first-time captain, it’s a new challenge, especially in New Zealand. Although we have a strong track record against New Zealand, they are one of the best teams globally, so we’ll strive to give our best,” Afridi said.

The five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand is set to kick off at Eden Park in Auckland today. As per Afridi, this series and the remaining games leading up to the T20 World Cup will see his side make a lot of experiments with their playing combinations.