Ricky Ponting, a former Australia captain, has named speedster & key Player Shaheen Afridi who must perform if Pakistan is to win a second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Afridi delivered his best performance of the tournament so far, bowling with supreme pace and collecting superb figures of 4/22 against Bangladesh on Sunday, helping Pakistan earn the final spot in the tournament’s semi-finals.
Babar & Rizwan should perform as key player
Pakistan faces an in-form New Zealand at the SCG on Wednesday, and Ponting believes Afridi is the key player in that match. He might say he’s not back to 100 percent yet,” Ponting said, “but from what I’ve seen, he looks like he’s going along beautifully and he now holds the key to Pakistan progressing in the tournament.”
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Afridi injured his right knee while fielding in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July, and the 22-year-old admitted his recovery was slow because he could barely walk afterward. Pakistan faces an in-form New Zealand at the SCG on Wednesday, and Ponting believes Afridi will be crucial.
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He might say he’s not back to 100 percent yet, but from what I’ve seen, he’s going along beautifully, and he now holds the key to Pakistan progressing in the tournament,” Ponting said. Afridi injured his right knee while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July, and the 22-year-old admitted his recovery was slow because he could barely walk after the injury.
So, he may have had some concerns in the back of his mind, and the Pakistan hierarchy and coaching group may have had some concerns as well, but not any longer. He’s done really well so far, and hopefully, they have two more games.”
Afridi Returns as Key Player
Ponting compared Afridi’s return to form to Indian superstar Virat Kohli’s in Australia, saying that sometimes you just have to trust the champion players to deliver on the big stage. It’s almost like the India scenario with Virat (Kohli) entering this tournament,” Ponting observed.
Sometimes you just have to stick with them, pick them, and let them go because champion players will find a way to succeed. And as the tournament has progressed, he’s (Afridi) gotten better and better, and hopefully, the best is yet to come.”
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