Irfan Pathan feels Pakistan must perform better with the ball in their next World Cup 2023 matches, emphasizing that the top nations would not let them to chase down large totals.
After deciding to bat first in Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 10, Sri Lanka set a massive 345-run total for the Men in Green. Mohammad Rizwan (131) and Abdullah Shafique (113) then assisted their team in chasing down the mark with six wickets and 10 deliveries to spare, giving them their second victory of the competition.
Pathan reminded Pakistan during a game review on Star Sports that they cannot afford to allow large totals against more threatening forces. He stated:
“Their bowling needs sharpness. Pakistan will have to bowl better against the stronger teams, the top five or six teams. Every team will not allow you to chase such a big score.”
Irfan Pathan
The ex-Indian all-rounder made the observation that players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shadab Khan are not at the peak of their game. He declared:
“I have seen better Pakistan bowling units in World Cups. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz are not in form. Shaheen Shah Afridi gave 66 runs in nine overs. It was a flat pitch for sure but he didn’t pick up wickets with the new ball.”
Irfan Pathan
Pathan went on to say that Iftikhar Ahmed and Hasan Ali’s spells helped Pakistan reduce Sri Lanka’s total. He explained:
“The slightly good thing in the bowling was that Iftikhar Ahmed conceded only 22 runs in his four overs. Hasan Ali picked up wickets and tried to restrict runs in a difficult period and because of that Haris Rauf did not have that much trouble and Shaheen Shah Afridi could make a comeback in the end.”
Irfan Pathan
With 22 runs conceded in four overs, Iftikhar was Pakistan’s most economical bowler. Hasan bowled 4/71 in 10 overs, taking crucial wickets of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, both of whom hit attacking hundreds for Sri Lanka.
Irfan Pathan Dismisses Naseem Shah’s Absence as a Reason for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Poor Form
Irfan Pathan was then questioned if Shaheen Shah Afridi is unable to exert pressure due to a lack of assistance on the opposite end, to which he responded,
“I don’t agree that he is not looking in his usual form because of Naseem Shah’s absence. These are different pitches and I feel he is still troubled a little by his knee injury.”
Irfan Pathan
The cricketer-turned-commentator also stated that the Pakistan left-arm bowler has yet to fully recuperate from the finger injury he sustained during the Asia Cup, and that bowling on flat fields has exacerbated his troubles.