Defending Pakistan’s pace attack, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said on Friday that heavy workloads and fatigue had contributed to the slowdown, but insisted the players remained determined to regain their advantage.
The Green Shirts, who will host Australia for a three-match ODI series from May 30 to June 4, toured Bangladesh for two Tests earlier this month and suffered a 2-0 whitewash, which was their second in a row against the Tigers in the longest format.
During the series, part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), Pakistan pacers, including Shaheen, struggled to trouble the Bangladesh batsmen with pace, averaging around 130.
Meanwhile, when asked about the declining pace of domestic seamers, Shaheen highlighted her commitment to giving the best for the country, comparing herself to a machine, emphasizing that both need maintenance for greater efficiency.
“When it comes to fast bowling, people need to understand that when a machine keeps running continuously, it eventually needs maintenance. Some of our fast bowlers have played a lot of cricket. When a player is fresh and rested, he can naturally play with more intensity,” Shaheen said.
“Pakistan fast bowlers are always ready to give their all for the country. We are all thinking about how to increase our pace again and the coaches and management are also working on it,” he added.
The left-arm pacer then humorously told the journalist that he would try to bowl at 200 kmph for him.
“If you ask about me personally, I’ll try to bowl at 200 kilometers an hour,” he joked.
Speaking about Pakistan’s preparations for the ODI series against Australia, Afridi said the training camp in Lahore had been productive, during which 28-29 players participated under the supervision of head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors.
“ODI cricket is not played regularly, so the camp was important for everyone to get back into the swing of things and prepare properly,” he said.
“The practice sessions have been very good and we are hoping to put in good performances,” he added.
The 26-year-old also celebrated Babar Azam’s return to the ODI team after missing the away series against Bangladesh in March, calling the right-handed batsman the “backbone” of his middle-order.
Furthermore, he backed the 31-year-old to carry his sublime Pakistan Super League (PSL) form into the ODI series.
“Babar has been an important part of the middle order for a long time. He performed well in the PSL and also played a good innings in the last Test match. We hope his form continues and he wins matches for Pakistan.”
