As Pakistan gears up to begin their T20 World Cup campaign with the highly-anticipated clash against India on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, skipper Babar Azam said that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is fully fit.
Shaheen had missed the Asia Cup and the seven-match T20I series due to an injury. It would be interesting to see if the pacer, who received treatment in London, participates in the warm-up games before the encounter against India.
The India-Pakistan clash in the 2022 T20 World Cup is among the most awaited sporting events of the year.
"Definitely. Shaheen and Fakhar (Zaman) have come back. We have six days for the first match, so we will utilise these warm-up matches. Shaheen is fully fit and dedicated to giving his 100 per cent. So, we are looking forward to seeing him play," Babar said when he was asked about Afridi in a press conference.
"Pakistan have always come up with quality pace bowlers. Our fast-bowling lineup is also very strong. With Shaheen coming back, it will become stronger. We played with different combinations in our previous games. Haris Rauf has improved his bowling with the new ball and at the death. We can go with different combinations," said Babar.
Talking about the high-pressure match against India, Babar said: "Whenever you play against India, it is always a high-intensity game. Fans also wait for this match, we enjoy the contest on the field. We try to play good cricket and we look to give our best."
The two arch-rivals clashing against each other at a stadium as iconic as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the marquee event, it really does not get much better than this.
Both India and Pakistan are part of Group 2 in the Super 12 stage alongside South Africa, and Bangladesh while two teams will join them from the qualifiers.
( With inputs from ANI )
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