"Will bowl at 200kph", says Shaheen when asked about decline in Pakistan bowlers' pace

Pakistan ODI captain and fast bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi cited workload as the reason behind the drop in pace of the team's fast bowlers. Talking ahead of Pakistan's first ODI against Australia in Rawalpindi, the left-arm pacer dismissed the comparison with younger fast bowlers, who have not played regular cricket.

"When it comes to fast bowling, people need to understand that when a machine keeps running continuously, it eventually needs maintenance. Some of our fast bowlers have played a lot of cricket. When a player is fresh and rested, naturally, he can bowl with more intensity," Shaheen stated.

Will bowl at 200 kph

Despite the reason behind it, the drop in pace has affected the quality of Pakistan's bowling across formats. Bowlers including Shaheen himself averaged 130-135 kph during the Test series against Bangladesh, where the home bowlers regularly exceeded 140 kph.

Shaheen said the bowlers, as well as the coaching staff, are working to bump up the pace, jokingly adding that he would try to bowl at 200kph.

"Pakistan's fast bowlers are always ready to give everything for the country. We are all thinking about how to increase our pace again, and the coaches and management are working on it as well," he added.

"If you are asking about me personally, then I will try to bowl at 200kph for you," he joked.

Pakistan’s pre-series training camp

The Pakistan Cricket Board hosted a training camp ahead of the series, which was attended by 28 players, with the squad for the series announced following its conclusion.

With ODI cricket rarely played over the last year as teams prepared for the T20 World Cup, the camp helped players acclimatize to the format, said Shaheen. 

"ODI cricket has not been played regularly, so the camp was important for everyone to regain rhythm and prepare properly," he said.

"The practice sessions have been very good, and we are hopeful of producing strong performances," he added.

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