Shaheen Afridi Admits Pakistan Must Improve Before Tri-Series Final
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi on Friday admitted that the hosts still need to improve in some areas on the eve of their ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka. The Shaheen Afridi tri-series final preview came a day before the summit clash at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where Pakistan will try to turn a strong league campaign into a trophy.
The Green Shirts booked their place in the final with a match to spare by winning their first three games. They opened with a comfortable 37-run victory over Sri Lanka, then inflicted a thumping 87-run defeat on England. Their third win tested them far more: experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan’s unbeaten century carried them to a one-wicket victory over the 2019 world champions in their second meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Pakistan then suffered a gruelling eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their final league fixture at the same venue. Even so, they finished at the top of the standings with six points, two more than Sri Lanka, who took the second final spot.
Shaheen Afridi tri-series final: top-order runs on the agenda
Shaheen, who is the joint-second leading wicket-taker of the tri-series with eight scalps in four matches, praised his team’s overall performance but pointed to two clear areas for improvement.
“We have performed well as a team, but there are still areas where we need to improve, particularly scoring runs at the top and building partnerships,” Shaheen told Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Digital.
The captain also spoke about the crowd and the team’s plans for the final. “The crowd has always supported us, and we hope fans will turn out in large numbers tomorrow to witness an exciting contest,” he said. “We are hopeful of maintaining our team combination and putting up a good performance in the final,” he added.
The emphasis on partnerships makes sense after the league stage. Pakistan’s wins came through different routes: a comfortable margin against Sri Lanka, a big win over England, and a one-wicket escape built on one man’s century. A final against a Sri Lanka side that has already beaten them once in this series will punish another slow start at the top of the order.
Pakistan squad for the final
The squad named for the final is: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan.
The final is the last act of a series that has already produced plenty of talking points for Pakistan cricket. Head coach Mike Hesson has spoken about the need for big players to stand up in the decider, as covered in Hesson’s preview of the tri-series final, while Sri Lanka have issued their own warning through Dilshan Madushanka ahead of the final. The teams were also received in Lahore earlier in the series, as reported in the Lahore Fort reception for the tri-series teams.
Saturday’s final at the Gaddafi Stadium will show whether Pakistan’s league form was the real measure of this side, or whether Sri Lanka’s eight-wicket win in the last league game was the better guide. Either way, Shaheen’s own message is clear: the team has played well, but the areas he named will decide the trophy.
The original report on Shaheen’s remarks was published by Geo Super.
When is the ODI tri-series final?
The final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on Saturday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
How did Pakistan reach the final?
Pakistan won their first three league games and finished top of the standings with six points, two ahead of Sri Lanka.
What does Shaheen want Pakistan to improve?
He pointed to scoring runs at the top of the order and building partnerships.
How many wickets has Shaheen taken in the series?
Shaheen has taken eight wickets in four matches, making him the joint-second leading wicket-taker of the tri-series.
