Shahid Afridi blasts Pakistan fielding, says Babar Azam needs to set the tone

• Shahid Afridi has criticized Pakistan’s fielding.
• Afridi says that the captain needs to set the tone.
• Pakistan will now play South Africa on October 27.

Shahid Afridi, a former captain of Pakistan and all-round player, opened up on Tuesday following his country’s record eight-wicket loss to Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 in Chennai. He also shared his candid thoughts on Babar Azam’s leadership.

Afridi, 46, took aim at the Pakistani team’s fielding, citing several previous players’ criticisms of the team’s performance. He claimed that when a captain gives the field their best, every player gives it their all.

“When you are not in the game [not focused], then these things [fielding issues] will happen. When you are trying to hide somewhere, when you are not thinking positively, I think that at times we are waiting for miracles, miracles don’t just happen. They happen with brave men who know how to fight,” Afridi said while talking on a local sports show.

“Look, a captain is everything. If a captain gives his best, dives during the field, backs other players between overs, the entire team will get [more] active, because when they see that the captain is giving his all and we are not, they feel ashamed that my captain is doing so much, why can’t I be the same?”

Then, using instances from his time as captain, Afridi explained that we would always give it our all and the players would always follow suit.

“It has happened in the past, when I was the captain or Mohammad Yousuf was, when we used to run in the ground and support players, then the entire team used to charge up. When Inzamam would dive during the field, then, believe me, we players used to feel ashamed that why are we not diving when the captain is. At the end of the day, everything comes right back to the captain.

Boom Boom then used the Australian cricket team as an example of how they put pressure on opponents after quickly grabbing two wickets in a row.

“It is the captain’s job to apply pressure, a pacer is bowling and there is no slip? Four are required on 12 balls and you’ve taken backward point? Apply pressure. What do the Australians do? They take one to two wickets and then put all of their players in the circle to apply pressure, like they did against Pakistan.

“Captaining your national side is a matter of honour but it is not a bed of roses. When you do good, everyone praises you and when you don’t, everyone blames you as well as the head coach,” Afridi added.

After two victories and three losses, the national team will now play South Africa on October 27 at the same location.

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