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SYDNEY: Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi now holds the key for Pakistan progressing in the tournament. “He’s not back to 100 percent just yet, but he’s going along beautifully.”. This was stated by former Australian Captain Ricky said Ponting.
Talking to ICC, Ponting said “he might say that he’s not back to 100 percent just yet, but from what I’ve seen it looks like he’s going along beautifully and he now holds the key for Pakistan progressing in the tournament.”
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His remarks came after Afridi produced his best performance of the tournament so far when he bowled with supreme pace and collected superb figures of 4/22 against Bangladesh on Sunday and that spell helped Pakistan earn the final spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.
The Babar Azam-led Pakistani side goes up against the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground today, Wednesday, and the tournament will have its first finalist.
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Ponting believes that even when Afridi is not at his peak, the top bowler can still have a significant impact on games of extreme importance. “So look, he might have had a few worries in the back of his own mind and the Pakistan hierarchy and coaching group might have had a few worries in their mind, but not anymore. He’s got through really well so far and hopefully for them two more games to go,” Ponting remarked.
“It’s almost a bit like the India scenario with Virat coming into this tournament. Sometimes you just have to stick with them and pick them and let them go because champion players will find a way to get the job done. And as the tournament’s gone on he (Afridi) has got better and better and hopefully the best is still to come,” Ponting added.
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