Preparing spin-friendly pitches in Pakistan justifiable: Shaheen Afridi
What's the story
Pakistan's ODI series win over Australia has been marred by questions over the relevance of their pitch strategy for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa. The three-match series saw Pakistan employ spin-friendly pitches across Rawalpindi and Lahore, a move that was heavily criticized. Despite these criticisms, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has defended his team's approach to preparing these pitches.
Pitch preparation
We will prepare pitches of different characteristics as well: Afridi
Following Pakistan's win in the third and final match, Afridi stressed that every team has the right to prepare pitches that suit their playing style. He said, "Every team prepares pitches that suit them when they play in their backyard to win." The Pakistan captain also highlighted the importance of preparing for different conditions ahead of the World Cup. He said, "We have time on our hands before the World Cup and we will prepare pitches of different characteristics as well in the build-up."
Past experiences
We won that series on green and bouncy pitches: Afridi
Afridi also recalled Pakistan's past success on green and bouncy pitches in Australia under Mohammad Rizwan's captaincy. He said, "We played on green and bouncy pitches when we went to Australia under [Mohammad] Rizwan's captaincy and we won that series." The Pakistan captain further defended the spin-friendly conditions of the recent series, saying they were tough wickets where scoring runs or spending time was not easy.
Player performance
Afridi backs Shadab, praises Minhas and Abrar
Afridi acknowledged the performances of players who got an opportunity in this series, including Arafat Minhas and Abrar Ahmed. He said, "It was good to see how Arafat Minhas bowled throughout the three matches and so was the case with Abrar [Ahmed], who also bowled a good spell today." The Pakistan captain also emphasized Shadab Khan's contribution despite criticism over his regular inclusion in the team.
Summary
How did the third ODI pan out?
Pakistan's victory in the 3rd ODI at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium came on a challenging pitch that favored spinners, making run-scoring difficult for both teams. However, Pakistan's batsmen showed grit and patience to chase down Australia's target of 158 with 49 balls remaining. Earlier in the game, Afridi claimed 3/30 as Australia got folded for 157.