In a moment that captured attention ahead of the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), fast bowler Shaheen Afridi stepped in to defend teammates Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan during a tense press conference. The trio was addressing the media when Babar was asked a pointed question about Pakistan’s repeated failures to chase totals above 200 in T20 cricket.
“No doubt, the morale of the entire country is down at the moment, but where are we lacking?” the reporter asked. “Is it the mindset or lack of intent as whenever a team scores over 200, we panic and fail to chase the target. Will we train for such scenarios in the PSL this year? Babar, can you please answer?”
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Caught off guard, Babar had no immediate reply and attempted to pass the question to Rizwan. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, remained silent.
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It was Shaheen who finally broke the awkward pause with a composed and unified response.
“It’s our team, it’s Pakistan’s team,” Afridi began. “You are talking about chasing 200. Honestly, it’s not just about the batters, it’s also the bowlers’ responsibility not to concede 200 runs.”
“Even if we concede 200 or more, we should do our best to chase it down. It’s our job to defend such totals too. We are a team. We are a family. And it’s our job to get Pakistan cricket back to the top.”
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The pacer’s leadership and calm demeanor earned praise online, especially in light of Pakistan’s recent form slump in white-ball cricket.
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