Former India player Mohammad Kaif said that Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi should have been awarded the Player of the Match for Pakistan’s win against Bangladesh instead of Fakhar Zaman. While Afridi registered figures of 3/23 in nine overs as Pakistan bowled out Bangladesh for 204 in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 31, Zaman scored a 74-ball 81 as Pakistan chased down the target with seven wickets and 17.3 overs in hand.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Kaif said: “A lot of runs are being scored in this World Cup, records are being created, give some rewards to the bowlers as well. As Irfan Pathan said, the commentators decide it. They probably forgot the first innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up a wicket apiece in the first and third overs. Then he got Mahmudullah out, who was set. Dismissing Mahmudullah meant you put a leash on the game. They probably forgot that Afridi had bowled earlier and Fakhar Zaman hit sixes later.”
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Kaif further added: “We all get influenced because he hit seven sixes. But actually, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s spell won them the match. He was struggling with the new ball but he picked up wickets in the powerplay. He set the tone of the game and Mahmudullah’s wicket. So it was given wrongly.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi also dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in his first two overs. He later bowled Mahmudullah with a beauty to finish his three-wicket haul. Irfan Pathan applauded Shaheen Shah Afridi’s dismissal of Mahmudullah as well.
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“Kaif bhai is understanding the bowlers’ pain for the first time. He went around the wicket, the ball was reversing slightly and the batter thought the ball would come in, there he dismissed a completely set batter by beating him all ends up. He is a quality bowler,” he shared.
