Young Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has said that beating India in the Super 12 group match of the IC T20 World Cup in the UAE last year still makes him feel
proud, adding that personally it was a “great day” for him. Pakistan had thrashed
India by 10 wickets with Afridi getting rid of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in a Group 2 match in Dubai on October 24 last year.
“It was a great day for me, to be honest. Alot of people watch India-Pakistan matches, including those who don’t even like cricket. When I look back on that win, I feel very proud. Yes, we couldn’t win the World Cup but we did well in that game against India and I’ll
try to give my best even in the next World Cup,” Afridi told Cricbuzz on Monday.
The 21-year-old left-arm pacer, who was named ‘ICC men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021′
emerging the youngest cricketer ever to get the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, said that the youngsters in the side saw the match against India asa great opportunity to end the arch-rivals’ unbeatenrun in World Cups against Pakistan.
Most players were playing for the first time against India in a T20 World Cup, except (Mohammad) Hafeez bhai and Shoaib (Malik) bhai. And for us, it was an opportunity. The kind of cricket we played, we were very prepared and we had belief in each other. The
captain’s role is crucial and he (Babar Azam) backed me and the team a lot. The dressing
room environment was quite friendly. There was a sense that if Shaheen can’t, then Hasan
Ali will. and if Hasan Ali can’t, then Haris Rauf will. We had to play our best cricket and make people happy back home. And it was good fortune that we ended up on the right side,” said Afridi, who also became the first Pakistani player to receive the ICC top
award recently.