Afridi, Yasir can play winning role against Windies: Iqbal Qasim

Published February 18, 2015
Shahid Afridi. — Reuters/File
Shahid Afridi. — Reuters/File
Yasir Shah bowls in the nets under the watchful eye of leg-spin maestro Mushtaq Ahmed. —AFP /file
Yasir Shah bowls in the nets under the watchful eye of leg-spin maestro Mushtaq Ahmed. —AFP /file

KARACHI: Leg-spinning duo of Shahid Afridi and Yasir Shah can play vital role in Pakistan’s upcoming World Cup match against the West Indies at Christchurch on Feb 21, legendary left-arm spinner and ex-chief selector Iqbal Qasim said on Tuesday.

“Cricketers from the Caribbean Islands have always shown vulnerability against quality leg-spinners,” Iqbal said in an interview here. “Both Afridi and Yasir can capitalise on this weakness of West Indies if they bowl smartly,” he added.

“Remember Afridi bulldozed the West Indies batting in 2011 World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka with four wickets.”

He said Yasir looked under pressure and excited in the game against India and wasn’t able to produce a good performance. “But if he flights the ball and come up with some wicket-taking googlies he can be lethal.”

However, Iqbal warned Pakistan to beware of West Indies’ flamboyant style because “just like the green-shirts, the West Indians are also a highly unpredictable and dangerous team.

“Players like Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmon, Darren Bravo, Darren Sammy and Andre Russel could pose quite a threat to Pakistan bowling,” warned Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Economic plan?
Updated 15 Dec, 2024

Economic plan?

So long as the government does not realise that it needs to put its own house in order, growth will remain anaemic and the world will be reluctant to help.
Registration tussle
15 Dec, 2024

Registration tussle

MAULANA Fazlur Rehman appears to be having trouble digesting the fact that he was taken for a ride. The government,...
Dangerous overreach
15 Dec, 2024

Dangerous overreach

THE latest wave of arrests and cases filed against journalists and social media users under Peca marks an alarming...
Half measures
Updated 14 Dec, 2024

Half measures

The question remains: Were suspects' prolonged detention, subsequent trial, and punishments ever legal in eyes of the law?
Engaging with Kabul
14 Dec, 2024

Engaging with Kabul

WHILE relations with the Afghan Taliban have been testy of late, mainly because of the feeling in Islamabad that the...
Truant ministers
Updated 14 Dec, 2024

Truant ministers

LAWMAKERS from both the opposition and treasury benches have been up in arms about what they see as cabinet...