Pakistan’s star fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has dismissed concerns about his workload, stating that legendary bowlers like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis bowled significantly more in their time. Afridi’s comments come after head coach Gary Kirsten expressed concerns about the potential impact of Afridi’s heavy workload across formats.
“If I’m said to have bowled the most in the world, that’s three times more, but in the past, our legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis bowled much more,” Afridi said. “I don’t understand why workload has become such a big issue in the past year.”
Afridi emphasized the importance of mental and physical fitness for cricketers. “It depends on the individual how they approach each format,” he said. “You need to be mentally strong and fit. If you’re lazy, you won’t perform. Your body will tell you when you’re not performing well. That’s when you need support from management and loved ones.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has denied reports that Babar Azam will continue to lead the team in white-ball cricket until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. “The reports about Babar Azam leading Pakistan in white-ball cricket until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 are false,” Shehzad said.
In September, speculation about a change in Pakistan’s captaincy emerged, with Mohammad Rizwan tipped as Babar’s successor in limited-overs formats. However, recent developments suggest that Babar may retain the white-ball captaincy.
