Shahid Afridi has raved about the Indian team, saying they are “big-match” players and that they would have chased a target of 200 too.
“India deserved the victory. Their attitude, mindset, their batting, bowling – I won’t mention their fielding today!- but overall mindset and they are big-game players. This is the mindset used by big teams like Australia. You can see that approach. Pakistan made mistakes that added to the result but India are an outstanding team. I think even if they had scored 200, India would have got it,” Afridi told Samaa TV.
Afridi then turned to the mistakes made by Pakistan. “At one point I thought they would reach 190. But after 14-15 overs, for 18 balls you just make 14 runs and including the fact that there was a six in it …that’s an area of worry.” Pakistan were 91 for 1 in 10 overs and drifted to 114 for 3 in 14 overs. Even then there was no acceleration as in the next 3 overs, from 15 to 17, they added just 14 runs. So in that 7 overs from 10th on, Pakistan added just 42 runs.
Afridi suggested Pakistan should have sent Shaheen Afridi up instead of pushing Hussain Talat and rest in that phase.
“They could have seen Shaheen in that middle overs phase, or even Harris Rauf. There would have been no issue. If the players lower are in form, then send. You know that Talat is not going to start hitting from the first ball. You could have told Shaheen to go and have a go – lag jaate toh lag jaate. That situation was not made for Talat,” Afridi said.
His co-panellist Mohammad Yusuf too brought up the selection of Hussain Talat.
“When Hussain Talat came to bat, they added just 29 runs in 5 overs. IT was a big mistake to play him in such a big game. That’s where the match went wrong. We lost the match there. 200 was a possibility and I don’t think 200 would have been chased,” Yousuf told Samaa TV.
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“Talat is not international material, as yet. And you played him in such a big game? And you dropped Hasan Nawaz – you have spoiled his confidence. You have hurt Talat’s confidence also. And hurt Pakistan’s chances.”
Yousuf contrasted it with the performance of Sahibzada Farhan, who took on Jasprit Bumrah, and hit a 50. “We all know how a first-class player handles pressure of an international match. Look at Farhan. World-class bowler ko aisey dhoya hai.. (belted a world class bowler, referring to Bumrah). After a long time it was some fun to watch a Pakistani bat,” Yousuf said.
Afridi also brought up the new-ball options for Pakistan. “And it’s not written on stone that Shaheen Afridi only has to bowl two overs in the powerplay. You can change those things. You are using Saim Ayub, a part-timer, then you are playing Faheem Ashraf, playing Talat Hussain as allrounder – bring on your genuine bowlers.”
The post‘Outstanding team, India would have chased 200 also’ Shahid Afridi, who also questions why Shaheen Afridi wasn’t promoted to bat up appeared first on Indian Express
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