Legendary Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi was one of the first luminaries from the Pakistan cricket fraternity to congratulate Rohit Sharma and Co. after India defeated South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup final on Saturday. Ending its long wait for an ICC title, India outclassed the Proteas in the final-over thriller to win a second T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
After India’s historic win over, Afridi lauded Rohit for leading the Indian side from the front. In his recent statement, Afridi also targeted Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. While India sealed its first ICC T20 World Cup after 17 years, Babar’s Pakistan side suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of co-hosts USA in the group stage. The Green Army also finished behind arch-rivals India and USA to bow out of the ICC tournament before the Super 8 stage.
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Speaking to news agency PTI, Afridi highlighted the importance of having a strong leader and the ex-Pakistan captain also gave Rohit a special mention. “Look, the role of a leader is always very important. The body language of the leader becomes the body language of the team. The leader has to set an example. Take Rohit Sharma as an example. Now, look at his (Rohit’s) game and his style of playing; the lower-order batsmen who come in are all confident because the captain likes to play aggressive and attacking cricket. So, I always believe that the role of the captain is very important,” Afridi said.
Following Pakistan’s premature exit from the T20 World Cup, skipper Babar admitted that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will review a number of roles. After defeats to the USA and India, Pakistan salvaged some pride with wins over Ireland and Canada in the group stage. Seeking a ‘positive decision’ from the PCB, Afridi asserted that Pakistan’s product is weak at the grassroots level.
“I don’t know what the PCB chairman has in mind now and I am also waiting to see what changes will be made but I have always supported the team and will keep doing that. I am also waiting to see what these changes will be. A positive decision needs to be made, and the changes shouldn’t just be superficial. The real issue lies at the grassroots level of our cricket. Our product is weak at the grassroots level, and if we invest there, good players will emerge,” Afridi added.