Shaheen Shah Afridi has become a central topic of the debate as the Pakistani fast bowler’s speed has been consistently declining.
Inititally it was Ramiz Raja who critiqued him and now the former Pakistani cricketer Bazid Khan has also attributed the pacer’s lack of pace to an excessive workload and relentless schedule of T20 cricket.
The bowling speed of Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped by 10 to 15 km/h during the test match against Bangladesh, according to Bazid Khan.
Bazid Khan in his comparative analysis noted that the pace of Shaheen suffered due to jumping into test matches immediately after playing T20s.
He also pointed out other legendary pacers like Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee who even when they played extensive test cricket their pace did not diminish in a similar way.
It was then explained by the former cricketer that a pacer or a bowler’s body will not be conditioned for the temperament of long-format cricket if they primarily do 4-over spells in the T20s.
He noted that the speed naturally decreases without proper stamina. He suggested, “Your body is not ready for prolonged cricket if you only play T20s.”
Former PCB Chairman and well known commentator, Ramiz Raja, also recently criticised Shaheen Afridi on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Ramiz Raja, during his commentary, questioned the current form of both Shaheen and Pakistan’s overall fast-bowling unit.
He also highlighted that many of the bowlers have become accustomed to the shorter format. He mentioned that while these bowlers excel in four-over bursts, they do not have the fitness required for the sustained intensity of test cricket.
Also read: Shaheen Shah Afridi admits test struggles, hopes for comeback
