• Home
  • Who Said What
  • He Had No Answer Akhtar Highlights Rohit Sharmas Struggle Against Shaheen Afridi

'He Had No Answer'- Akhtar Highlights Rohit Sharma's Struggle Against Shaheen Afridi

image-lm30lw46Sharma was castled by Shaheen Afridi [AP]

In what was shaping up to be a classic cricketing contest between arch-rivals India and Pakistan at Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, rain had the final say, bringing the game to an inconclusive end with both teams sharing points. Yet, the interruption from the heavens did not diminish the memorable individual performances.


Shoaib Akhtar rued Rohit Sharma's vulnerability to Shaheen Afridi's moving ball

Despite a rocky start, India managed to post a respectable 266 runs in 48.5 overs before being bowled out. A significant chunk of this total came from the bats of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, who scored 82 and 87 runs, respectively. Their partnership saved the day for India after a fiery spell from Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, which left the Indian top order in tatters.

The limelight, however, shone brightly on Afridi when he outfoxed the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, early in the innings. Despite Sharma's aggressive outset, he fell prey to Afridi—a bowler who seems to have his number, having previously unsettled him with a similar delivery in 2021.

Commenting on the match, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, expressed his disappointment over Rohit's dismissal. 

On his YouTube channel, Akhtar stated that despite being aware of Afridi's signature delivery, the Indian veteran seemed unprepared. The former speedster emphasised that Rohit, having last faced Afridi in 2022, might be out of touch, but he still expected better from a batsman of Sharma's calibre.

"What a spell it was by Shaheen Afridi, what a bowler he is. Everyone knows what he will do, pitch it full and bring it back in, and in spite of that Rohit Sharma had no answer. But, what is Rohit Sharma supposed to do, in his defence, he had last played him in 2022, he does not get the opportunity to face him too often," said Akhtar.

Akhtar further reckoned that Rohit's current form might be plagued with overthinking and inability to read Afridi's game. According to the Pakistan stalwart, the Indian captain is a much better player than what the world saw on Saturday.

“I don't think Rohit is able to read or understand Shaheen at all. The visual of Rohit Sharma being beaten like this was not good, he is a far better player than this. Rohit can bat much better than this, I think he is worrying too much,” added the 48-year-old.

Meanwhile, with the rain-curtailed match earning Pakistan their ticket to the Super Fours, India's eyes are now set on their encounter with Nepal on Monday, September 4.