Subhayan Chakraborty in Ahmedabad
As the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 draws nearer, RevSportz spoke to Riaz Afridi, the former Pakistan cricketer who also happens to be the elder brother and coach of Pakistan’s star bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“Look, the way Pakistan’s position is, they seem like a very strong team in every aspect – batting, bowling, fielding,” Riaz Afridi told RevSportz. “There’s tough competition all around. If you look at Pakistan’s fast bowlers, they all consistently bowl at speeds of 140-145 plus, and they can put up a strong performance on any wicket. Plus, Indian wickets are quite similar to Pakistani tracks. I’m sure Pakistan has a great chance.”
From his perspective, Indian conditions favour Pakistan. Having travelled extensively with the senior team and visited the MRF Pace Academy, he believes Pakistan have what it takes to give a tough time to other teams.
“Shaheen is like a little brother to me,” said Riaz. “I’ve been coaching and training him since childhood. From the very beginning, he had all the ingredients to become a superstar. His bowling has always been top-notch. Now he’s on his way to becoming a superstar. Check out his game, his form, his swing, and his aggression, especially when he plays against India. It’s a fantastic match, and even Indian players respect him. In the past, there used to be a lot of comments during India-Pakistan matches, but now everything has calmed down. Everyone loves Shaheen. This is great for cricket, and I want Shaheen to bring the World Cup trophy home.”
The mentor-pupil bond between Riaz and Shaheen is evident, as Riaz recalls Shaheen’s journey from a 10-year-old academy-goer to becoming the backbone of the Pakistan team.
“Talking about the T20 World Cup, Pakistan hadn’t beaten India in [a big game] in years,” said Riaz. “But in 2021, Shaheen performed exceptionally well and helped Pakistan win against India. It was an honour for me as his big brother and coach that Shaheen was the Man of the Match.”
Riaz draws a parallel between Shaheen and the legendary Wasim Akram, emphasising the importance of maintaining the swing, pace, and line and length that made Akram a cricketing icon.
“Now, Shaheen is a mature player, and he’ll plan his approach against Rohit Sharma just like he used to in the past,” said Riaz. “Rohit Sharma is one of the best players in the world. I wish Shaheen can get him out again. India and Pakistan matches are always special events, and the tournament hits a high note when they meet.”
Even though Virat Kohli and friends will enjoy the advantage of playing in front of a 1,34,000-capacity crowd, Riaz mentioned the admiration that Indian players, including Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan, had for Shaheen.
“Regarding the advice to Shaheen, I keep telling him to plan day by day and not do anything extra,” said Riaz. “Stick to his natural bowling style, and that should be good enough.”
Pakistan have not beaten India in seven World Cup games dating back to Sydney in 1992. No one will be more pleased than Riaz if his little brother can amend that miserable statistic.