'Sometimes it’s about his presence'- Shaun Tait on Shaheen Afridi

Former Australian speedster and current Pakistan bowling coach Shaun Tait has heaped high praise on left-arm pace sensation Shaheen Afridi, stating that his mere presence is enough to intimidate batters.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Tait said that more than Shaheen's pace, his aura makes him stand apart from the rest.

Afridi is currently one of the most dangerous power-play bowlers going around. The left-arm seamer showcased that to the hilt during last year's T20 World Cup, most notably against arch-rivals India.

Afridi knocked over both Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul courtesy of an inswinging yorker and a nip-backer, respectively.

The tall seamer is the last bowler any right-hander would want to face, especially in the first few overs of the innings, despite knowing what they will have to encounter as they have no answers to it, reckoned Tait.

Tait mentions qualities that makes Shaheen so deadly

"Sometimes it is not even his [Shaheen] pace, sometimes it's about his presence, standing at the top of his mark, and world's finest batters think they don't want to face this bowler," said Tait.

"The way the crowd gets involved when he is bowling is all that theatre. Most right-handers know they will be tested with an in-swinger, but still, they don't have any answers to it," he added.

Afridi has been at the height of his powers in the shorter formats in the last 2-3 years and while he is still a work in progress when it comes to bowling with the old ball at the death, he will be one of the biggest threats for batters in the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. 

He will also have a point to prove in the aftermath of what happened in the semi-final against Australia last year, and Pakistan fans will be hoping that their superstar player stages a perfect redemption this time around.