Picture Credit: Twitter
Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi has made a comeback to cricketing action after being out for almost two months. The left-arm quick who is known for his ability to trouble the batters with the new ball is back doing what he does best. Although Pakistan lost their first warm-up game, Afridi’s performance was top-notch as the pacer conceded only seven runs in the two overs he bowled. However, he could not bag any wickets.
Nevertheless, the pacer made it up for that wicketless performance in the second warm-up game against Afghanistan as Afridi dismissed Rahamanullah Gurbaz in his very first over. In fact, the pacer got the best of Gurbaz with a toe-crushing yorker that left the batter in pain. On the fifth delivery of the first over, Afridi bowled a swinging yorker that hit Gurbaz on his shoes.
It was right in the blockhole, and Gurbaz could not dig it out. The batter got pinned on the boot adjacent to the middle and leg stump and was hence adjudged LBW. Such was the impact of that toe-crusher that the batter had to take the help of the substitute fielder to walk off the ground and was carried on back.
Watch the video here:
The pacer did not stop there as he bagged another wicket really soon. Afridi dismissed Hazratullah Zazai for his second wicket in the game. Soon, Afghanistan lost a couple of more wickets as Haris Rauf too joined the party. Nevertheless, captain Mohammad Nabi and Ibrahim Zadran implemented the rescue act as they stitched a 35-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Nabi then went on to score a half-century (51* off 37) and also form a crucial partnership with Usman Ghani. The two batters added 72 runs for the seventh wicket with Ghani playing a blistering knock of 32* off just 20 balls.