Srinagar: Pakistan premier pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has quashed concerns about his dip in blowing speed by stressing that it will come back.
Since Shaheen Afridi has comeback from the injury there have been concerns about his dip in pace and former cricketers have raised a point about that.
“Everyone has a view about it [the pace], but I’ve been feeling good. You look at yourself, even if you are bowling 110kmph and taking wickets, you’re feeling good. I took wickets. I give 100% in the field, that matters more. Speed doesn’t matter as much but if there has been a dip, it will improve with time,” Afridi told ESPNCricinfo.
Afridi has acknowledged that his injury had impacted his bowling speed.
“[I was injured] two months out before the [T20] World Cup, two-three months after the [T20] World Cup also. So it will of course take time to get back. That match energy or fitness, you only get it from playing matches. Since the PSL I’ve been feeling better, I got better through it and then played internationals for Pakistan as well. With time I’ll improve and the more I play the more I’ll improve,” Shaheen said.
Meanwhile former Pakistan cricketer, Ramiz Raja, had expressed his concern over the decrease in bowling speed of Shaheen.
“Shaheen needs to increase his average speed of 136 and go up by a notch or two when he bowls forward. This is because on such pitches, you need to have a good understanding of your bowling, as you know that you will not get much sideways movement. Therefore, you need to develop a process through variations, change of pace, or sheer pace to be effective,” Raja had said.