Pak to use rookie fast bowler Irfan as ‘surprise weapon’: Shahid Afridi

Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi is looking forward to ‘unleashing’ rookie fast bowler Mohammad Irfan as a ‘surprise weapon’ in the Twenty20 World Cup to held in the Caribbean, starting April 30.

Afridi believes that the 6ft. 8inch Irfan has the potential to shine on the international stage.

“I’ve faced him. He is really good. We can actually use him as a surprise package against our rival teams in the Twenty20 World Cup. He is pretty fast, but it’s his height that can really trouble a lot of batsmen,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

“He extracts good bounce. We are hoping that he overcomes the few hurdles which are still there and is with us in the West Indies,” he added.

The 30-year-old also spoke highly of fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who is set to make his Twenty20 Internationals debut.

“Sami is looking good. He has shown his strength and commitment in the camp and is bubbling with energy. I’m expecting him to do well in the World Cup,” Afridi said.

Irfan and Sami have replaced injured fast bowler Umar Gul and all-rounder Yasir Arafat, who have been ruled out of the tournament due to injuries.

Afridi also voiced the uncertainty looming over their inclusion in the touring party.

“Their selection in the team is still subject to approval from the PCB chairman. We don’t know whether we will get permission from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup because we have selected him from out of the 30-man preliminary squad,” he said.