Pakistan’s premier pacer, Shaheen Afridi suffered an injury and because of that, he was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2022 but the southpaw pacer has still traveled with the squad to the UAE, where he was at the receiving end of love and well-wishes from a plethora of Indian stars. Several other interactions between teams highlighted the respect they share ahead of the tournament. Gone are the days in cricket when rival players would be at odds with each other and make for intense shows regardless of place.
The modern game is centered around respect and mutual admiration, regardless of rivalries between the nations. Some encounters between cricketers and members of the coaching staff in Dubai ahead of the Asia Cup’s opening games were the perfect example of the great relationships the teams in the continent share, with Shaheen Afridi being the protagonist of most of these meetings.
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The ace Pakistani pacer was ruled out of the tournament owing to a knee injury. however, he will present with the team on the sidelines in the United Arab Emirates. In a video released by Pakistan cricket, Afridi was shown wearing a leg brace when Yuzvendra Chahal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant all approached the southpaw seamer after the other to ask about the injury and convey well wishes.
Here is the video shared by PCB:
Stars align ahead of the #AsiaCup2022 🤩
A high-profile meet and greet on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/c5vsNCi6xw
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 25, 2022
There were a lot of embraces and handshakes, with a particularly hilarious conversation between Shaheen Afridi and Rishabh Pant had the former revealing he wants to imitate the keeper’s six-hitting antics, only for Pant to shoot back by asking the fast-bowler to keep putting in efforts.
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Later, the video also showcased a few moments shared between Pakistani and Sri Lankan cricketers. An excited Shadab Khan was seen discussing his bat with skipper Dasun Shanaka as the two were all smiling before heading their separate ways.
