Lahore Qalandars’ skipper, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has received criticism from former Test cricketer Waqar Younis for his decision to promote himself in batting during a crucial match against Multan Sultans on Wednesday. The Sultans managed to bowl out the Qalandars for a meagre 79 runs after setting them up to chase 161 runs.
Shaheen’s decision to promote himself in the batting order has been a recurring theme during this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL). In an important qualifier match in Lahore, Shaheen, who is generally considered a tail-ender, came to bat at number five when Qalandars were already struggling with a score of 19-3.
During commentary, Waqar criticised Shaheen’s decision and called it “wrong.” He stated that it was inappropriate to promote oneself in batting when there were already proper batters left. Waqar likened the decision to giving a new ball to someone else instead of Shaheen and questioned how he would feel in that situation. He added that there were other competent batters, such as Sikandar Raza, who could have been given the opportunity to bat instead.
Shaheen’s promotion turned out to be a mistake, as he went out for a duck after just two balls. The Qalandars lost four wickets for 28 runs after Shaheen’s dismissal and were eventually bowled out for only 79 runs. This defeat has pushed them to compete in eliminator 2, scheduled to take place on March 17 at the same venue.
In the first eliminator on March 16, Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will face each other. Meanwhile, the Sultans will rest for three days before playing their third consecutive PSL final under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan.
In short, Waqar Younis has criticised Shaheen Afridi’s decision to promote himself in the batting order during a crucial PSL match against Multan Sultans. Shaheen’s dismissal for a duck further added to the team’s struggles, leading to their eventual defeat and elimination from the tournament.
