Shaheen Afridi reacts as Australia level series with second ODI win over Pakistan

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi has reacted after his side suffered defeat against the Australian team in the second ODI of the series, played at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Afridi admitted that Pakistan fell short in key phases of the game, particularly at the death with the ball and during an early batting collapse that put the side under pressure.

He also acknowledged the challenging nature of the surface while praising Australia’s disciplined bowling effort, especially Nathan Ellis, for making the most of the conditions.

“I think we gave away 20-30 extra runs towards the end. We lost wickets early on and that built pressure on us. [Different surface than Pindi] It is a spinning track, not easy to bat on. Yes, in the second innings the ball comes nicely onto the bat, but the way Nathan Ellis bowled well; he bowled stump to stump and that brought him success,” Shaheen said.

The left-arm pacer stressed the importance of quickly shifting focus to the series decider, with little turnaround time between matches.

“We will try to win the game. There’s just a day’s gap, so we won’t look too much at our mistakes,” he stated.

He also reflected on the performance of his bowling unit, highlighting the impact of the pitch conditions and the ball change, which reduced assistance for the bowlers.

“Yes, on these wickets, the more you bowl in the line of the stumps, the more it helps since it doesn’t swing much. When it started to reverse, the ball was changed so our bowlers didn’t get much help from the old ball,” he concluded.

The visitors secured a 41-run victory over Pakistan in the second ODI thanks to a disciplined bowling display that helped them dismiss the hosts and level the three-match series at 1-1.

Batting first, Australia were restricted to 231-9 in their allotted 50 overs, with Shaheen Afridi leading Pakistan's bowling attack and making early breakthroughs into the visitors' batting line-up.

Captain Josh Inglis and Cameron Green steadied the innings with crucial half-centuries, while Oliver Peake also made a valuable contribution with the bat.

Green top-scored with 53 off 92 deliveries, including one four and two sixes, while Inglis struck 51 from 74 balls with the help of five boundaries. Peake added 31 off 32 deliveries, smashing one four and two sixes.

For Pakistan, skipper Afridi spearheaded the bowling attack with figures of 3/36 in eight overs, while Haris Rauf, Arafat Minhas and Abrar Ahmed claimed two wickets apiece.

In reply, the Men in Green were bowled out for 190 in 44 overs despite a fighting knock from Shadab Khan, who brought up his fifth ODI half-century and scored 71 off 104 deliveries, including one four and three sixes.

Young wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori contributed 37 off 48 balls, striking five boundaries, while Arafat Minhas chipped in with 33 from 43 deliveries, hitting four fours lower down the order.

Nathan Ellis starred with the ball for Australia, claiming 4/33 in nine overs, while Matthew Short picked up three wickets. Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha chipped in with one wicket each.