‘Chaseable’ target: Shahid Afridi backs Babar, calms Shaheen fears

Speaking to the media at the MCG, Afridi emphasized the significance of Babar Azam and expressed confidence in his ability to lead the team's run chase

PHOTO: SEN Cricket

Shahid Afridi expressed his confidence in Pakistan's ability to stay competitive in the ongoing Melbourne Test, despite the challenging target of 317 runs for victory.

Pakistan, aiming for their first Test win on Australian soil since 1995, face a daunting task, considering that the highest successful run chase in the fourth innings at the MCG is 332-7 by England in 1928, making scores over 300 a rarity.

Speaking to the media at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Afridi emphasized the significance of Babar Azam in Pakistan's batting lineup, praising him as the backbone of the team. Afridi highlighted Babar's consistency, a trait rarely seen in Pakistani cricket, and expressed confidence in his ability to lead the team's run chase.

"This Test match they should win. A good opportunity we missed to get them out easily for 150 runs. But it's a chaseable score. I rate Babar Azam very highly and so does the world. He is the backbone of Pakistan's batting lineup. The best batters lose form, but I have seen such consistent batters very rarely in Pakistan cricket," Afridi said.

Regarding concerns about Shaheen Afridi's fitness, Afridi dispelled any doubts, asserting that he never got the impression of an injury.

"I've never got the impression that Shaheen Afridi has an injury. If you're injured you can't play as a fast bowler. He knows his responsibility and how important he is to the team. The fast bowlers, we are expecting a lot from them because they've done well in the past. Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen etc. have performed so well we expect them to perform in every match. Relentless consistency is challenging in cricket," Afridi said.

"I have always said that unless our bench is strong we won't be able to take the best decisions. The A team should be as strong as the main team, so if Shaheen or Babar or Rizwan aren't strong, we shouldn't have the excuses of players being unavailable, like we do with Naseem now. When our bench is strong, we will no longer have excuses," he added.