"I owe that wicket to Shoaib Malik" - Shaheen Afridi recalls veteran's advice to dismiss KL Rahul at T20 World Cup 2021
Pakistan seamer Shaheen Afridi revealed that veteran Shoaib Malik advised him to bowl a length delivery to KL Rahul, leading to his dismissal in the T20 World Cup 2021.
The young left-arm seamer famously dismissed the Indian openers during their Super 12s clash in Dubai, marking their first win against their arch-rivals in the World Cup.
Afridi breathed fire into his spell during his first-ever encounter against India. The Men in Blue were on the back foot straightaway after losing Rohit Sharma in the first over of the innings, courtesy of a scorching yorker. The left-arm pacer followed it up with yet another stellar over, claiming the wicket of KL Rahul.
moment'Shaheen Afridi explains the 'They can't play him, he's on absolute 🔥 moment'
How he got KL Rahul out and who guided him! #T20WorldCup #INDvPAK
https://t.co/sSKP8qUY4R
Afridi recalled that he decided against bowling a yorker to the wicket-keeper batter upon consultation with Shoaib Malik midway through the over.
He told ESPN Cricinfo:
“For KL Rahul, I happened to be standing with Shoaib Malik. He asked me if the ball was swinging, and I said, not much. He asked me to not try the yorker ball but the length ball and it might just nip back in. I tried it and that's exactly what happened. I owe that wicket to Shoaib Malik.”
The pacer's match-winning spell restricted India to a below-par total of 151-7 after 20 overs. Pakistan planned their chase to perfection and won the contest by 10 wickets courtesy of fifties from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Speaking further on his memorable debut outing against India, he said:
“A time comes in your career when you want to make a name for yourself and this opportunity comes when you facing the bigger teams. I always wanted to play against India and this was my first T20 against them. I wanted to perform in a way that people would always remember. We also hadn't won against India in a World Cup before."
Shaheen Afridi's sole outing against India at the T20I World Cup 2021 remains Pakistan's most famous win against their neighbors.
While the neighboring nations played out a set of matches at the Asia Cup 2022 a few months back, the left-arm pacer was unable to participate due to a knee injury.
"I had observed that Rohit Sharma struggles against the inswing" - Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen afridi vs India T20 world cup 2021 🔥♥️ https://t.co/QCnOjnEPyI
The current Indian skipper's woes against left-arm seam bowling have been well-documented. He struggled immensely against the incoming delivery from an angle, something which Shaheen Afridi exploited at the T20 World Cup 2021.
The seamer said that he capitalized on Rohit Sharma's weakness, which just so happened to be his strength:
“I had observed that Rohit Sharma struggles against the inswing, at that yorker length. In 2021, most of my dismissals were with that length. So I thought to myself, if that's my strength why not use it against him in the first ball that bowl to him."
Returning to full fitness after a significant injury layoff, Afridi is set to feature in Pakistan's upcoming encounter against India on Sunday, October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Will the left-arm speedster get the better of Indian batters once again? Let us know what you think.