LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and opener Ahmed Shezad praised the national team after Pakistan clinched the T20I series against Australia in the second T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Batting first, Pakistan scored 198 for 5 in 20 overs, in reply Australia were bowled out for 108 in 15.4 overs to lose by 90 runs.
Afridi took to social media platform X to congratulate the team for their performance throughout the series.
He wrote, “Congratulations to Pakistan Cricket Team for a brilliant performance.”
The all-rounder singled out Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha for his leadership and form and expressed confidence that the team can carry this momentum into the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, scheduled from February 7 to March 8.
“Special kudos to captain Salman Ali Agha for really leading from the front. His form and intent have been a huge positive and I hope he continues this momentum in the upcoming World Cup. The role of spinners will be absolutely crucial going forward, especially in tight games,” Afridi added.
Reflecting on the team’s performance and potential changes for the next match, Afridi suggested strategic changes and acknowledged unique individual contributions.
“The batting line-up needs to be adjusted in the third match; Nafeh should be given a chance. Also, credit to Usman Khan for his brilliant batting – his confidence and shot selection was outstanding today,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Shehzad expressed his excitement over Pakistan’s recent performance, praised the players and highlighted the highlights from the series.
“Now that’s what I call an electrifying performance by Pakistan. Congratulations to Salman and his team for a fantastic series win. Salman and Saim were absolutely brilliant with the bat and Salman nailed it at No. 3,” Shehzad wrote.
He also shared his thoughts on the potential key players for the upcoming World Cup.
“As I said earlier, Abrar, Saim and Usman Tariq can be our trump card in the World Cup – they have to play every game together,” he said.
The right-handed batsman reflected on Pakistan’s batting situation, acknowledging the continued challenges in the middle-order but remaining confident.
“Pakistan are still facing middle-order problems, but luckily there is still time to rethink our decisions. Hasan Nawaz, anyone?” He finished.
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