Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has defended his pace attack, attributing recent dips in speed to heavy workloads and fatigue.
Pakistan, who are set to play Australia for a three match ODI series from May 30 to June 4, are coming off a 2 0 Test series defeat in Bangladesh earlier this month – their second consecutive whitewash against the Tigers in the ICC World Test Championship.
During the series, Pakistani pacers, including Afridi, struggled to trouble batters, with average speeds hovering in the mid 130s.
“When it comes to fast bowling, people need to understand that when a machine keeps running continuously, it eventually needs maintenance,” Afridi told reporters on Friday.
“Some of our fast bowlers have played a lot of cricket. When a player is fresh and rested, naturally, he can bowl with more intensity.”
The left arm pacer stressed that Pakistan’s seamers remain committed to giving their best for the country, insisting that the bowlers remain determined to regain their edge.
“We are all thinking about how to increase our pace again, and the coaches and management are working on it as well,” he said, before joking, “If you are asking about me personally, then I will try to bowl at 200kph for you.”
Afridi said the training camp in Lahore, involving 28 to 29 players under head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors, had been crucial in helping the squad regain rhythm. “ODI cricket has not been played regularly, so the camp was important for everyone to prepare properly. The practice sessions have been very good, and we are hopeful of producing strong performances.”
The skipper also welcomed the return of Babar Azam to the ODI side after missing the Bangladesh tour, describing him as the “backbone” of the middle order.
“Babar has been an important part of the middle order for a long time. He performed well in the PSL [Pakistan Super League] and also played good innings in the last Test match. We hope his form continues and he wins matches for Pakistan.”
