Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has offered tactical advice to Shaheen Shah Afridi ahead of Pakistan’s highly anticipated Super Four clash against India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which is set for today.
Akram believes Afridi will need to be smarter with his lengths if he is to get the better of Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill.
The former captain’s remarks came after Omani pacer Shah Faisal dismissed Gill with a late-swinging full delivery during India’s Group A match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday.
Highlighting that Gill can be troubled early with the right variations, Akram urged Afridi to learn from that example and avoid becoming predictable during his opening burst.
“That’s what I want Shaheen Afridi to do early on, because the whole world now knows the plan against him. They say, ‘Okay, he’ll be bowling yorkers first up.’ So Afridi needs to have a Plan B. This is the length he should be bowling,” Akram said.
From Group A, India and Pakistan advanced, while Oman and Afghanistan were eliminated.
After a rest day on Monday, Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on September 23.
The match between Pakistan and India will start at 7:30pm.
India squad for Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.
