T20 World Cup 2022: "Cometh the hour, cometh the man! " - Aakash Chopra on Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi's inspired spell vs New Zealand
Aakash Chopra reserved high praise for Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi for his impressive bowling exploits against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 on Wednesday, November 9.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he highlighted how the star pacer gave his team an ideal start, dismissing New Zealand opener Finn Allen early in the innings. He noted that while Afridi didn't seem to be at 100 percent fit during the Men in Green's initial games, he has found his mojo back at the right time.
Chopra explained:
"It was vital for Pakistan to get an early breakthrough. And there is one guy in their team who has been doing that lately, and his name is Shaheen Afridi. When we see how he has fared in this T20 World Cup, he looked undercooked at the beginning.
"He didn't have enough time to prepare, given that he was returning from an injury. Now, he has nine wickets from the last three matches. Cometh the hour, cometh the man!"
Shaheen was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan in their crucial tie against New Zealand. The speedster bagged two crucial wickets while conceding just 24 runs from his full quota of four overs.
The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized that going with six bowlers in their lineup has reaped great dividends for Babar Azam and Co. He suggested that because of the move, they could afford to complete Shaheen's spell early, instead of saving him for the final overs.
He added:
"Pakistan have changed one thing in their bowling. Against India, Shaheen Afridi bowled the 18th over. Now they are able to finish his spell till the 17th over itself. They are able to do so because they have six bowling options. The team have now figured out how they want to take the game ahead."
The Pakistani bowlers did a fine job after being asked to bowl first at the Sydney Cricket Ground, restricting the Kiwis to 152/4 in 20 overs. The side chased down the target comfortably with seven wickets to spare thanks to fine half-centuries from openers Mohammad Rizwan (57) and Babar Azam (53).
"If he does well, Babar does well too" - Aakash Chopra on the importance of Mohammad Rizwan in Pakistan's batting lineup
Chopra opined that Rizwan deserves credit for Babar's return to form. The former opener stated that his contribution is key for Pakistan, given that he allowed the skipper to take some time early on by playing the role of an aggressor.
The cricketer-turned-commentator claimed that Babar's lean phase at the T20 World Cup 2022 occurred because Rizwan too wasn't in great form. The two senior campaigners stitched together a brilliant 106-run partnership against New Zealand, propelling their side into pole position.
He added:
"Mohammad Rizwan has scored the most number of runs in T20Is in the last two years. Babar and Rizwan's opening stands have been phenomenal. It is worth noting that Rizwan is the one who plays the role of the aggressor in this stand. If he does well, Babar does well too.
"One of the reasons for Babar not scoring runs is that Rizwan hasn't done well. He had a better strike rate than Babar, and in fact, enabled Babar to score a half-century."
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The Babar Azam-led side have advanced to the final of the T20 World Cup 2022. The winner of the second semi-final between India and England will take on Pakistan in the summit clash on Sunday, November 13.