Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has rejected the notion that the Pakistan T20I side was in any kind of downturn, pointing out that they had won all but one of their previous four series.  Speaking after his three-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, which took Pakistan to victory in Abu Dhabi and put them within one win of playing back-to-back T20 Asia Cup finals, he said the team was "ready to face whoever" in their pursuit of a first Asia Cup title in 13 years. 

"It's not that we're not winning," Afridi said. "We've won most of our last dozen games. It's true we haven't won against higher-ranked teams, but most of our recent games haven't been against them. We were here to win the tri-nation series, and we won that. We are here to win the Asia Cup, and that's all we're focused on now."  In Abu Dhabi against Sri Lanka, it was the different tactical approach Pakistan took while bowling that stood out. For the first time in 13 matches, no powerplay over was bowled by a spinner.

Medium pacer Hussain Talat was given three overs and his two wickets in his first over - the eighth of the innings - were among the game's turning points. Talat later revealed he'd been told he would play a role with the ball, but it represented a departure from Pakistan's recent tendency to give spin bowling prime slots through the innings. Afridi, who bowled three overs in the powerplay on Tuesday, said it did not mean Pakistan's quicks were playing second fiddle to the slower bowlers. "I don't think our fast bowlers are struggling, but in T20 cricket on good wickets, batters have the license to go after the quick bowlers.

We've been trying to vary our bowling more, and that's something I'm working on. We were getting swing. Early on, I got breakthroughs, removing two of their main players. That's the kind of attacking cricket we want to play - get your main bowlers on and finish the game quickly.  Despite an upcoming game against Bangladesh on Thursday, which could be a knockout for a place in the final, attention has already begun to focus on Sunday. The possibility of a first India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup is suddenly looking a lot more likely. Afridi, too, had his eye on it but repeatedly pointed out that neither side had made it that far yet. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)