Australian legend Mark Waugh has roped in Pakistan’s pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top five players he would like to see in the playing eleven for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup draws near, Waugh joined the long list of former greats to select the first five players they would pick in a World T20I XI.
The five players Waugh has picked are from five different squads, including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, England and Australia.
Apart from Shaheen, the other players in the list are Jasprit Bumrah from India, Rashid Khan from Afghanistan, England’s Jos Buttler and Glenn Maxwell from Australia.
Sharing his views about Shaheen, Waugh said that the Pakistani pacer is a “tremendous left-arm fast bowler”, who will be used to open bowling at the other end.
He said that Shaheen is a wicket-taker, whom the team follows.
“He is a left-armer so that’s another point of difference. He can swing the ball back into the right-hander, he’s quick as well, so I’ve got him number two,” Waugh said.
Shaheen Shah Afridi starts bowling
Star pacer Shaheen — who is currently undergoing rehabilitation in London due to a knee injury — has started bowling as he steps closer to full recovery.
The youngster shared a video from a practice session in London to give his fans an update on the progress of his recovery as they eagerly wait to see him back on the field.
“Your success belongs to Allah, not your mindset,” he captioned the video.
The pacer suffered from Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July and was advised four to six weeks of rest by the body’s medical advisory committee and independent specialists following the latest scans and reports.
He is expected to return for the tri-nation series in New Zealand and T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia scheduled for October-November.
