Shahid Afridi lauds Shaheen's performance, expects Babar to rise up to occasion

Pakistan's former skipper Shahid Afridi has praised his son-in-law and Green Shirts' lead pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's performance against Australia while asking captain Babar Azam to rise to the occasion and finish in crunch games.

Taking to social media platform X, Afridi praised Shaheen's five-wicket haul, improved line and length, and the opening partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique.

A day earlier, the Aussies managed to restrict the Green Shirts to 305 runs — resulting in a 62-run loss for Pakistan — after posting a colossal 368-run target courtesy of a 259-run stand from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh.

“Improved line and length today and a great 5fer by @iShaheenAfridi Strong opening by @imabd28 & @ImamUlHaq12 but the team lost. I expect @babarazam258 to exhibit during this WC, the world class finisher that he is. #CWC23,” Afridi wrote in a post on X. 

Pakistan struggled visibly during bowling and fielding against Australia and dropped catches at key points. David Warner, who shamed 163, was dropped on 10 by Usama Mir.

The Aussies managed to restrict the Green Shirts to 305 runs after posting a colossal 368-run target courtesy of a 259-run stand from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh.

Pakistan were off to a great start as their opening duo of Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique had a 134-run partnership — the first time a Pakistani opening pair had a century stand against Australia in a World Cup match.

Pakistan were 154-2 in 23.4 overs — after losing Abdullah and Imam — and were in dire need of a big partnership to get back in the team but their skipper Babar Azam was removed by Adam Zampa just after scoring 18 runs courtesy of an excellent catch by Pat Cummins.

The Green Shirts kept on losing wickets at regular intervals but after the arrival of Iftikhar Ahmed, it looked like Pakistan would get in the game once again as the 33-year-old started hitting boundaries.

But Adam Zampa provided the Aussies the much-needed breakthrough and removed Iftikhar and Mohammad Rizwan in back-to-back overs.

The Green Shirts were bowled out for 305 runs in 45.3 overs.

Batting first, Australia posted 367 runs on the scoreboard, recording the biggest total against Pakistan in the World Cup.

Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan as the 23-year-old bagged five wickets, his second World Cup fifer.