Asia Cup 2023: Shaheen Afridi has ability to blow away top orders, says Tom Moody

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody reckons Shaheen Shah Afridi has the ability to blow away the opposition’s top order. Afridi is well known to bring the ball back at high speed and thus he can breathe down the neck of the right-handed batters.

Afridi had rattled India’s top-order in the 2021 T20 World Cup as he had got the early wickets of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma with incoming deliveries. The lanky left-arm seamer has a great record in the T20I format as he has scalped 64 wickets in 52 matches at an average of 22.73 and an economy rate of 7.64.

The 23-year-old youngster has scalped 76 wickets in 39 ODI matches at an impressive average of 23.34 and an economy rate of 5.42. Afridi is currently in ninth place in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers with 633 rating points.

Moody feels Shaheen Shah Afridi is going to be the major threat to India in the upcoming Asia Cup clash.

“Shaheen Afridi. Full Stop. I just think that Shaheen Afridi with the new ball is a major threat, which he has done historically. Broken through with that new ball, manages to blow away a couple of early wickets, which then opens up the middle order for India to resurrect things. Particularly for a middle order that hasn’t had a lot of game time,” Moody told Star Sports ahead of the tournament.

The former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach added that India versus Pakistan rivalry is bigger than the Ashes.

“I think this match surpasses the Ashes. It’s always got a lovely story to it, and both are outstanding cricketing nations. And when you look at that Pakistan squad, it does boast a lot of talent,” Moody said in the interview.

Afridi is in great form as he finished as the leading wicket-taker in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, picking up a total of six wickets at an average of 16.33 and he is going to hold the key for the Babar Azam-led team.

Pakistan will play their opening game of the Asia Cup against Nepal on August 30.