Shaheen Afridi Confident for Final ODI Against Australia
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed determination to bounce back in the final One Day International (ODI) against Australia following their defeat in the second match at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Shaheen acknowledged that conceding extra runs towards the end of Australia’s innings, along with losing early wickets, negatively impacted Pakistan’s chances. He noted that the pitch conditions at Lahore were challenging, describing the surface as a spinning track which made batting difficult.
“I think we gave away 20-30 extra runs towards the end. We lost wickets early on and that built pressure on us,” Shaheen said during the post-match presentation. The captain also praised Australian bowler Nathan Ellis for his disciplined line and length, which prevented Pakistan from scoring freely.
Despite the 41-run loss, Shaheen remained optimistic about the final ODI scheduled for Thursday at the same venue. “We will try to win the game. There’s just a day’s gap, so we won’t look too much at our mistakes,” he added.
On bowling conditions, Shaheen observed that the pitch favored bowling in the line of the stumps and that the team found it challenging to utilize the older ball effectively as it offered little swing. “On these wickets, the more you bowl in the line of the stumps, the more it helps since it doesn’t swing much. When it started to reverse, the ball was changed so our bowlers didn’t get much help from the old ball,” he explained.
Earlier in the match, Australia posted a total of 231 runs. Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered in reply, getting bowled out for 190 runs in 44 overs. Shadab Khan top-scored for Pakistan with a resilient 71 runs off 104 balls, featuring three sixes and a four. Nathan Ellis was the standout bowler for Australia, claiming four wickets for 33 runs in his nine overs. Matthew Short also contributed significantly by taking three wickets.
With the series now levelled at 1-1, the final ODI will decide the winner. Pakistan will be aiming to leverage home conditions and rectify their mistakes to secure the series victory.