"Keep your head high up, you have done it before and you'll smash it again"- Mohammad Amir has an encouraging message for Shaheen Afridi
Former Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir has backed Shaheen Afridi to return to form following the latter's disappointing outing against England in the 3-match ODI series. Amir urged Afridi not to lose his heart because of some "attention seekers" lambasting him recently.
Pakistan suffered a humiliating white-wash against England, who were forced to field a second-string side after players from their main squad contracted the COVID-19 virus just before the ODI series.
Despite that, Pakistan lost the contest 3-0, with Shaheen Afridi picking just two wickets in the series. With plenty of naysayers doubting his ability, Mohammad Amir came out in full support of his fellow left-arm seamer and tweeted:
"In my opinion Shaheen Afridi is one of the finest bowler and the best Pakistan has currently, Shaheen keep your head high u have done it before n u'll smash it again IA (Inshallah). don't take some attention seekers dislikeness to ur heart."
Pakistan, who were let down by their batting in the first two ODIs, came up with their best performance with the bat by scoring 331 in the third match of the series. However, this wasn't enough as the current World Cup holders chased the target with two overs to spare. Shaheen Afridi had a woeful outing with the ball, returning with figures of 0-78.
Shaheen Afridi should be ashamed of himself: Danish Kaneria
While Mohammad Amir empathized with Shaheen Afridi, former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria blasted the bowler for being second-best against England's makeshift team. Kaneria was also dismayed with the 21-year-old for his behavior with Sarfaraz Ahmed.
The former leg-spinner stated on his YouTube channel:
"You should be ashamed of yourself the way James Vince, Lewis Gregory and Philip Salt have thrashed you. You need to improve your behavior first. You have hardly had any time since starting to play for Pakistan and want to be a star. When you don't respect your seniors, this is what happens."
Following an injury to Mohammad Rizwan during the 3rd ODI, Sarfaraz Ahmed stepped onto the field as a substitute and donned the wicketkeeping gloves. Kaneria noted that Shaheen and Sarfaraz were still carrying on with the tussle they had during PSL 6.
"Shaheen's reaction towards Sarfaraz was so wrong that it was visible on TV. Show your attitude towards batsmen and not senior players. You will never be successful in cricket unless you respect your seniors," added Kaneria.
Pakistan will hope to turn their fortunes around when they take on England in the three-match T20 series, which starts on 16 July.