Shaheen Afridi adressed the press before the ODI series against Austalia. Image Credit: X
PAK vs AUS: It has been a few years since Shaheen Afridi has lost the venom with which he used to bowl when taking the new ball. The left-arm pacer does produce a magical spell here and there but has gone missing in big matches when Pakistan needs him. Approaching the ODI World Cup, Pakistan will be taking on Australia in the One-Day format. The left-arm pacer was asked a question on his lack of speed, to which he gave a reply which felt that felt like it came from an arrogant tone. The answer did not sit well with the fans who have seen the men’s team underperform in recent years.
Be it the T20 World Cup in 2024 and 2026, the ODI World Cup in 2023, or the Champions Trophy in 2025, Afridi or even the rest of Pakistan fast bowlers have not managed to do enough to take their team in the later stages of the tournament. Apart from the T20 World Cup in 2026, the Men in Green did not make it past the league stages of the last four ICC tournaments.
Shaheen Shah Afridi when asked about his bowling speed replied in the press conference “Mein bilkul koshish karoonga ke mein apke liye 200 pe speed rakhoon” 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/6EVAJRbyNL
— Kh4N PCT (@Kh4N_PCT) May 29, 2026
Shaheen Afridi while addressing the press, was asked about the lack of speed from him in recent years along with other Pakistani bowlers. The left-arm pacer did not take the question as intended and instead took the opportunity to throw shades at Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana. He talked about how, Nahid has played only a handful games and that is the reason behind him bowling at great speeds. While talking about himself, Shaheen said, “Mein bilkul koshish karoonga ke mein apke liye 200 pe speed rakhoon. (I will try my best to have a speed of 200)”
31 year old Rabada is bowling at 152kph and 32 year old Siraj is touching 147kph.
Why are Pakistani Pacers not able to cross 145? pic.twitter.com/zjuF1nBoFh— Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) May 29, 2026
Arrogance of what? They lose every other series they play. Have lost recent series to Bangladesh.
— SubtleTake (@itsinfinitygk) May 30, 2026
This guy is an embarrassment to the Country. Zero effort, pathetic performance. The board shouldn’t let these fools speak to press, its just stupid statement one after the other.
— S.A Mohammed (@Mohamme45653272) May 29, 2026
While the fastest ball in cricket ever recorded ranges around 160 kmph, it is humanly impossible to bowl at the speed that Shaheen suggested. Additionally, the poor results surrounding the Pakistan team under the captaincy of the pacer meant that a little more seriousness would have been expected from him as they approach yet another series where they are playing a second-string Australia.
The Pakistan team has not had the best of results in One-Day cricket in recent times. They exited the Champions Trophy in the group stage itself after losses to New Zealand and India. They then toured New Zealand for a three-match series where they were clean swept. In another tour to the West Indies, the Men in Green lost the series 1-2. At home, they defeated South Africa’s second-string side, being led by Matthew Breetzke, and a Sri Lanka team that did not even make the Champions Trophy. In their last series in Bangladesh, the Shaheen Afridi-led side fell to a 2-1 series defeat as well.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
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