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Brisbane Heat fast bowler Shaheen Afridi aims to take advantage of pace-friendly Australian pitches to limit star batter Babar Azam in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15.
Shaheen talked about his game plan and playing against Pakistan players during ‘The Surge’ Big Bash podcast.
Babar Azam is representing Sydney Sixers in the 15th edition of the BBL.
“We have been playing for the same team for seven or eight years,” he said of Pakistan players.
“It will be more exciting here. I hope the ball helps us more, not like in Pakistan with flat wickets! We will be enjoying it here. It’ll be exciting playing against each other,” Pakistan ODI skipper continued.
The left-arm pacer hailed Babar Azam’s stature as a batter ahead of his outing against Sydney Sixers on January 6.
“I don’t want to say that!,” he laughed when asked how he might try to limit Babar’s flow.
“Babar is a world-class player, no doubt about that, and he had a lot of runs for Pakistan for many years. “My plan will be simple: Use the Australian wickets,” he explained.
For those unaware, Shaheen started poorly in his maiden BBL outing as he was removed from the bowling attack during the Brisbane Heat’s clash against the Melbourne Renegades.
Afridi’s debut summed up a rough opening week for Pakistan stars in the BBL this season, with the fast bowler struggling for control at the death.
The Pakistan pacer conceded 43 runs in just 2.4 overs, a disappointing return for a player Brisbane Heat had selected as their first overseas pick in the BBL 15 draft.
Brought back into the attack in the 18th over by Heat captain Nathan McSweeney, Shaheen immediately came under pressure as Oliver Peake launched him for a six over deep midwicket.
Attempting to respond with fuller deliveries, the 25-year-old repeatedly missed his yorker length.
A low full toss first allowed the Renegades to escape with a single, before things unravelled further when Shaheen overstepped the mark with a waist-high full toss that was called a no-ball.
Eventually, due to two waist-high no-balls in the same over, the umpires stepped in and took Shaheen off the attack, bringing an abrupt end to a forgettable outing.
READ: Shaheen Afridi endures nightmare BBL debut as umpires take him off attack
