Shahid Afridi, a former captain of Pakistan, expressed his appreciation for Suryakumar’s performance while also criticizing Mohammad Rizwan.
Suryakumar Yadav of India and Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan contended for the top spot in the ICC rankings list for T20I batting, which sparked the controversy over who was the superior batter.
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Rizwan ruled for a short while after pipping Babar Azam for the throne, before Suryakumar nudged ahead in the race with his breath-taking performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup. His unbeaten 25-ball 61 against Zimbabwe was an epitome of why he has been able to take the throne.
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi too was mighty impressed with Suryakumar's knock but through his praise for the India batting star, he lashed out at Rizwan.
Ahead of the semifinal against New Zealand, the veteran cricketer pointed out that the batter’s weakness has been exposed in the tournament, which has led to his repeated failures.
Thus, he wants him to play a fearless brand of cricket and practice in the nets to play on the off-side, especially towards mid-off and extra cover regions to add more shots to his game.
Speaking to Samaa TV, Afridi said:
“Every team does its homework before coming to a World Cup. They've planned not to bowl him in the middle for Rizwan as he plays good shots toward deep square-leg and midwicket. He struggles towards the off-side.”
He added:
“He will have to come down the track and take risks. He will have to make gaps towards mid-off and extra-cover and for this, he will have to practice these strokes.”
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The anchor asked Shahid Afridi whether it is time for the Pakistan opener to take a cue from Suryakumar and the flexibility he exhibits during a discussion on the two knocks on Samaa TV, recalling one of Rizwan’s statements where he was asked if he wanted to change his gameplan given that opponents have been studying his strategy and outsmarting him and the batter did not pay attention to it.
Shahid Afridi replied saying, “You are absolutely right. The most important thing about Suryakumar is that he played 200-250 matches in the domestic circuit before coming to international cricket.”
“He knows his game. And he can target the good balls as well because he practices those shots. In this format, you need to evolve as a batter and develop your game” Shahid Afridi Added.
India will take on England in the second semifinal here on Thursday while Pakistan and New Zealand will lock horns in the first semifinal on Wednesday in Sydney.
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 "Shahid Afridi advices Rizwan")
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