Did Shaheen Afridi's Dip In Pace Take Away His Lethality As A Bowler? Analysis Reveals

Shaheen Afridi in action vs WI in 1st ODI - (Source: AFP)

On Saturday, August 9, Pakistan locked horns against the West Indies in the first of a three-match ODI series. The visitors registered a comfortable five-wicket win as the Men in Green chased down 284 runs.

Shaheen Afridi was the star with the ball as the left-arm seamer took a four-wicket haul and registered the figure of 4/58 in his eight overs. The fnas missed this version of the 25-year-old as the left-arm seamer seemed to have lost his mojo in the last couple of years. 

Notably, Afridi was a menace with the ball from 2020-23, and one of the most feared bowlers in the world. Over the years, the drop in pace has contributed heavily to Shaheen's performance, and this article will shed light on the dip in pace over the years and how it has affected Afridi's performance. 

How Has Afridi's Pace Dipped Over The Years In ODIs

Notably, Afridi was known for his swinging delivery at a lethal pace of over 140 kmph. However, in the last five years, the percentage of his 140 kmph + deliveries has reduced by a big margin. Here is the stats. 

Year 2020

Talking about 2020, Afridi played just 3 matches and bowled 30 overs. Notably, it means that Afridi bowled 180 deliveries and 20% of his deliveries clocked 140 + kmph. Therefore, 36 balls, which is six overs, were lethal pace swinging deliveries. 

Further, Afridi took five wickets in three matches, which included a five-wicket haul. 

Year 2021

Talking about 2021, Shaheen played six ODIs and bowled 52.3 overs, equivalent to 315 deliveries. Therefore, 35% of his deliveries were over 140 kmph, which is 110 deliveries, equalling to nearly 20 overs. 

Afridi took eight wickets in that year and his best figures included a three-wicket haul. 

Year 2022

Afridi's pace saw a massive dip in 2022 because of injuries. From 35% deliveries above 140 kmph in 2021,  only 11% balls were above 140 kmph in 2022.  Out of Afridi's 32 overs, only four overs were beyond 140 kmph, which is a massive dip in pace. 

However, the dip in pace didn't affect Afridi's wicket-taking ability as the left-arm seamer took 9 wickets in just 9 matches. 

Year 2023

Afridi's pace in 2023 dipped further as only 8%  deliveries  were clocked above 140 kmph in 2023. Out of Afridi's 180.4 overs, only 14 overs were beyond 140 kmph, which is a massive dip in pace. 

However, the dip in pace didn't affect Afridi's wicket-taking ability as the left-arm seamer took 42 wickets in just 21 matches. 

Year 2024

In 2024, Shaheen Afridi 's pace dipped further and only 4% of his deliveries were bowled over 140 kmph.  Shaheen bowled 52 overs in 2024, resulting in just three overs of raw pace. However, Afridi took 15 wickets in six matches. 

Conclusion

It is worth noting that it is true that Shaheen's pace has dipped heavily over the years, but contrary to the perception, Shaheen has actually taken more wickets for Pakistan in his reduced pace. 

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