Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, has responded to the viral trend of “India struggling against Shaheen” in anticipation of the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 round clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo this Sunday.
The Pakistani pace attack, led by the impressive Shaheen Afridi, has been in scintillating form throughout the Asia Cup 2023, consistently dismantling their opponents.
Haris Rauf is currently the tournament’s top wicket-taker, with an impressive tally of 9 wickets. Following closely are Shaheen and Naseem, both with 7 wickets each to their names.
In a recent showdown between India and Pakistan in Pallekele, Shaheen Afridi showcased his brilliance by claiming the prized wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja. Rauf also made his mark with a four-wicket haul against Bangladesh, a noteworthy achievement considering the challenging conditions of a flat pitch in Lahore. Meanwhile, Naseem has displayed his effectiveness in the crucial death overs.
Shaheen Afridi’s exceptional performance against India ignited a social media trend of “They can’t play him” once again. Notably, even former Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former pacer Wahab Riaz joined in, playfully trolling the Indian batters.
In response to the buzz surrounding him ahead of the Colombo match, Mohammad Rizwan expressed his belief that facing the pace trio of Shaheen, Rauf, and Naseem would pose a formidable challenge not only to Indian batsmen but to any team.
“Our fast bowlers have played a crucial role in taking us to the No.1 spot. And the three fast bowlers we are talking about, they are just going to pose difficulty for the Indian top-order but also for every team. They are gifted bowlers. And if you look at our bench strength, that is also very good and that is why we have risen to the top,” Mohammad Rizwan said in the pre-match conference on Saturday.
The Pallekele match saw Pakistan missing their chance to bat due to rain, which ended the game after India had completed their innings. Rizwan mentioned that the Pakistan batsmen are well-prepared with their strategies against the Indian bowlers in their upcoming Super 4 clash on Sunday.
“Their batters also haven’t faced our bowlers a lot. They lost early wickets but they put close to 270 on the board. Similarly, we will also have plans when their bowlers will come up against us. India have a good bowling attack. Some of the world’s best who will obviously challenge us. But as professionals, we should be ready with the answers,” Rizwan further added.
Pakistan’s Playing XI Against India:
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan (vc), Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
