Pakistan do not have finisher like Hardik Pandya, says former skipper Shahid Afridi

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has highlighted that the current Pakistan team lacks a finisher like Hardik Pandya. He also pointed out the lack of consistency from Pakistan's middle-order batters and called for improvements ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 next month.

Hardik has made a great comeback from his injury issues and established himself as one of the best all-rounders in T20Is lately. He managed to score only 50 runs in the Asia Cup 2022 but smashed an unbeaten 33-run knock off 17 balls against Pakistan in a group fixture to guide India to a win in the last over.

He continued that momentum against Australia and finished the last T20I match to guide India to a 2-1 series win on Sunday (September 25).

Pakistan need to work a lot on their bowling and batting and minimize the mistakes: Shahid Afridi

Pakistan lost against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded 2022 Asia Cup and are currently levelled 2-2 in the ongoing seven-match T20I series against England at home. Afridi was asked whether the current Pakistan squad lacks a finisher like Hardik and he agreed to that. He also highlighted that the Pakistani cricketers, including star all-rounder Shadab Khan, lack consistency.

"This kind of a finisher (like Hardik Pandya) we don't have. We thought Asif Ali, and Khushdil will do the job but they haven't. Nawaz is also not that consistent, and neither is Shadab. Among these four players, at least two need to be consistent. The period in which Shadab bowls is very crucial. The day he does a good job with the ball, Pakistan wins," Shahid Afridi said in a Samaa TV show.

Shahid also added that Pakistan need to improve in both bowling and batting departments if they wish to win the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. He advised the team management to play Aamer Jamal, an uncapped 26-year-old pacer, as an all-rounder. Jamal is a part of the current squad but hasn't featured in the first four matches against England.

"In the kind of pitches on which we are playing now, you need two genuine fast bowlers and one all-rounder. The new guy Jamal that we have picked, why don't you play him? Play him as an all-rounder, make him bowl and then ask him to bat. You will get to know what type of cricketer he is. If Pakistan are dreaming to win the World Cup then they need to work a lot on their bowling and batting and minimize the mistakes that they have been committing in the last few matches," Shahid added.