CRICKET
Former bowling legend slams Pakistani fast bowlers for dismal showing in 1st test
Pakistan Cricket Team lost the first test match against Australia by a massive margin of 360 runs in Perth. Chasing 450 to win, Pakistan were bowled out for 89 runs on the 4th day’s play. The performance was so dismal that many former cricketers have come out and slammed the entire team.
Shan Masood and his team now move to Melbourne to play the 2nd Test Match. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to see a huge turnout. David Warner is set to appear in his final Boxing Day Test for the Baggy Greens.
One former fast bowling legend though has minced no words when calling out the men in green. Attributing to the pace bowlers not showing any bite with the ball or having any pace to cause damage to the opposition.
Legendary bowler slams Pakistani team –
Ahead of the second Test Match in Melbourne, former Pakistan Cricket pacer Waqar Younis has lashed out at the pace bowlers. Shaheen Afridi led the pace unit which also included two debutants. Khurram Shahzad and Aamir Jamal, with the later picking 6-wickets in his debut innings.
Speaking to ESPN on a show called ‘Around the wicket’ the former pacer didn’t hold back on his thoughts. Waqar Younis said “Another thing that I am worried about is that always when we come to Australia, one thing that excites is the fast bowling and this time around I am not seeing that”
Elaborating his point further the former Pakistan skipper said “I am seeing medium-pacers or slow-medium-pacers, allrounders, there is no real pace. People used to come and watch Pakistan pace bowlers really running in hard and bowling 150 clicks [kph], and that is what I am not seeing there.”
Naseem Shah is currently out due to an injury he suffered during the 2023 Asia Cup. Haris Rauf on the other hand is playing in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars. The onus thus falls on Shaheen Afridi to lead the inexperienced bowling unit. To add more misery Khurram Shahzad is also out injured for the second test at the MCG.
“That is my worry and issue because I have not seen it at the domestic level also. There are a few injured, I can understand, but in the past, you would always see a battery of fast bowlers that they could always bring on, but unfortunately, that is not there and I am really worried about that,”