'In One Day cricket, Haris Rauf's role is challenging' - Pakistan star pacer's take on his fellow bowling partner

Pakistan has one of the best bowling attacks in world cricket today. One of the backbones behind the attack is Shaheen Afridi. Recently, Afridi gave an interview and talked about two of his fast-bowling partners, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Afridi said that Rauf has a challenging role in ODIs in Pakistan.  

“If we talk of one-day cricket, Haris Rauf's role is challenging because the ball doesn't swing much, and you must contain it with the old ball. However, Rauf has provided breakthroughs in that stage on several occasions. Since Rauf joined the team, he has been very effective and wants to give his best with the ball and on the field,” said Afridi.  

'Communication between us is so good' - Pakistan pacer

The left-arm pacer praised Rauf and Naseem. “We started playing in 2018 and we featured for Lahore Qalandars and Pakistan team. I think the communication between us is so good that we can point out each other's mistakes freely. I think that is called a team game. Naseem Shah also delivered as soon as he came into the team and deserves all the recognition. The best thing about him is he learns things quickly and plays the game smartly,” added Afridi.  

Shaheen believed that Pakistan could win the Asia Cup 2023. “I missed the last Asia Cup edition and I hope the preparations we have had; we have played well in Tests. Even though we had a significant gap, a few of them got busy with franchise cricket. We also played one-dayers after that, so the preparation has been on point. Hopefully, we play well and lift the Asia Cup trophy," said Shaheen.  

The 23-year-old emphasized team bonding and felt his teammates were no less than family members. “See, cricket is a team game, and everyone has performed throughout in their capacity. We spend more time with one another than our own families, so we play for one another, and we try to do everything for the team. We want to give as much happiness to the people of our country," concluded Afridi.