Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Afridi urged journalists to stop being overly critical of senior players after the team’s recent international series. The left-arm fast bowler said players like Babar Azam are often judged on the basis of a few poor performances, while their long-term contribution to Pakistan cricket is ignored.
The third ODI between Pakistan and Australia was played on Thursday, June 4 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Pakistan won by four wickets to clinch the series 2–1, their third consecutive ODI series win over Australia. Shaheen was named player of the match for his performance in the series decider.
Just let them be – Shaheen Afridi defends senior Pakistan players
Speaking after the match, Shaheen Afridi defended senior Pakistan players against constant criticism from the media. The Pakistani captain said players always give their best on the field and urged journalists not to overreact to one or two poor performances.
“I have a request to all of you. You always speak about seniors not performing. When they do, you ask, ‘Why have you performed?’ Unme ek hal pe chadh de (Just let them be). Everyone is trying their best. No one is going to their homes,” Shaheen told reporters.
Stand-in captain Josh Inglis was Australia’s top scorer in the first innings with 65 runs from 71 balls. Afridi led Pakistan’s bowling attack with figures of 3 for 30 and bowled out Australia for 157 runs.
Pakistan achieved the target with four wickets remaining. Babar Azam contributed 40 runs, while Shadab Khan remained unbeaten on 29 runs. Abdul Samad also scored 18 runs as Pakistan secured a series-deciding win.
We won on green and bouncy pitches – Shaheen Afridi defends Pakistan’s home conditions
Shaheen Afridi also supported Pakistan’s decision to prepare spin-friendly pitches for the series against Australia. The Pakistani captain said that every team uses home conditions to its advantage.
Shaheen said, “When we went to Australia under Rizwan’s captaincy, we won the series there too. We won on green and bouncy pitches. They thought that because we came from Asia, giving us green wickets would cause us problems.”
He said, “So if they have come to our country, we cannot be expected to give them green wickets. We also have to win the match. Their strongest playing eleven was also playing.”
No one can perform well in all ten games – Shaheen Afridi supports senior players
Shaheen Afridi also said that it is unrealistic to expect players to perform in every match. The Pakistani captain stressed the importance of experienced players in helping young cricketers develop and establish themselves at the international level.
“In the Rawalpindi ODI, Babar scored a half-century in difficult conditions. He also guided Ghazi Ghori. If you remove the seniors from the team, how will you groom the juniors? When I made my debut, the seniors were there, and I learned from them.”
He said, “Even the best player in the world will perform well only in 3-4 games out of 10. No one can perform well in all ten games, so give everyone a chance.”
In the first ODI in Rawalpindi, Babar Azam scored a half-century in difficult batting conditions and helped guide young Ghazi Ghori through the innings. Meanwhile, debutant spinner Arafat Minhas was named Player of the Series for taking seven wickets at an average of 12.29 and scoring 60 runs.
