Shaheen Shah Afridi appeals for Babar Azam’s wicket. | (Credits: Screengrab)
Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi left Babar Azam stunned in an intra-squad practice match they played to gear up for the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand at home. In a video surfaced on social media, the left-arm pacer had trapped the former Pakistan captain lbw and the umpire and little hesitation in raising the dreaded finger.
Shaheen and Babar are amongst Pakistan’s key players if they are to win the tri-series and the Champions Trophy this year. Shaheen hasn’t played for the national team since the limited-overs series in South Africa and opted out of the red-ball games against the Proteas and West Indies to keep himself fit for the Champions Trophy. Babar, meanwhile, has done decently in the white-ball formats but struggled in red-ball cricket.
Hence, the tri-series will be the perfect stage for both Shaheen and Babar to get into the groove for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s squad for Champions Trophy and tri-series:
Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The Men in Green, who are the defending champions will kickstart their campaign against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi, which will also be the opening day of the tournament. They won the title in 2017 by beating arch-rivals India by 180 runs in the final. They will face India this time around on February 23 in Dubai.
