Shaheen Afridi’s real problem is the pressure of being the spearhead of Pakistan attack: Ravi Shastri

At the Optus Stadium, the second day of the series opener witnessed Pakistan’s pace attack struggling to make an impact. Bowling without the services of Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, the absence of firepower was evident as Australia posted a formidable 487 on the board. The lack of pace, a rare sight in Pakistan’s bowling arsenal, became a cause for concern at the Optus Stadium.

Shaheen Afridi, the lone ranger in the pace department, found himself shouldering the burden. Out of the initial 95 overs, Afridi bowled just 25, with his pace hovering around the early 130s – far away from the usual blistering speeds associated with Pakistan’s quicks. Former India coach Ravi Shastri weighed in on the issue, attributing the lacklustre performance to the undue pressure on Afridi.

“I think Shaheen Afridi’s real problem is the pressure of being the spearhead of this Pakistan attack. Without much real support at the other end, when it comes to pace. When you talk of Pakistan and their fast-bowling attack, there is genuine pace all the time. And you don’t have one bowler here who is even close to 140. So that puts immense pressure even on someone like Shaheen,” Shastri said while on commentary during the ongoing Perth Test.