The young pacer was the only bowler to take a wicket for the Men in Green during first day of Adelaide Test
29 November, 2019
PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan’s fast-bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi displayed a comically bad performance in the fielding department on day one of the second and last Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Friday.
The young pacer was the only bowler to take a wicket for the Men in Green but his fielding became the focus of attention after various lapses.
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Afridi first gave away four runs through an overthrow that helped batsman David Warner reach his fifty. The throw was wide of the fielder who attempted to collect the ball and perfectly bisected the two players trying to back up.
David Warner reaches 50, thanks to some timely overthrows! #AUSvPAK | https://t.co/0QSefkJERk pic.twitter.com/dKVXDkhnDm
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 29, 2019
Afridi came into the spotlight again after he failed to spot a straightforward shot hit by Warner. He stood there looking around as the ball ran past him unopposed and thudded softly into the boundary line.
Whoops! #AUSvPAK | https://t.co/0QSefkJERk pic.twitter.com/HpEwgwlm1H
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 29, 2019
The young pacer however saved his best effort for last. Running after a ball that would have stopped before hitting the boundary line, Afridi knelt down and got tangled in his own feet. This resulted in a kick that helped the ball reach the boundary for another four for the Aussies who barely looked like they needed the help.
😳🙈#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/FKkW2VDDFY
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 29, 2019
Former Pakistan legend Wasim Akram was not impressed with Pakistan’s fielding effort and slammed the Men in Green for their shoddy display on the opening day of the day-night Test.
“Shaheen Shah was in lala land at fine leg. Yasir Shah and Shan Masood were probably yawning. That’s the problem with Pakistan cricket. They should be on the ball, " Akram said. “Nobody was backing up and you as a fielder, it doesn’t matter how inexperienced you are, you set yourself, new batsman in, they just came out, I’ll probably start five-ten yards inside the boundary line and not on the boundary.”
David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne both plundered back-to-back centuries as Australia stamped their authority on the opening day of the day-night second Test in Adelaide Friday.
At the close on a rain-interrupted day, the home team were a dominant 302 for one with the pair building an ominous 294-run partnership, leaving Pakistan with a huge battle to stay in touch.
