Pakistan’s pace battery Shaheen Shah Afridi pays tribute to Shoaib Akhtar in a fifth T20I against New Zealand.
Legendary cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was present at the stadium to unveil the trophy of the T20 World Cup in Pakistan. The batter graced the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in a traditional Truck Art rickshaw and raised the trophy in the stadium.
Giving him tribute, Shaheen Shah Afridi imitated his style of wicket celebrations after claiming the wicket. The gesture was a token of appreciation for his services to Pakistan Cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar expressed gratitude to Shaheen Shah Afridi for a heartfelt tribute. “Thank you @iShaheenAfridi for such a lovely gesture today during the match! You were amazing today. Keep going,” said Shoaib Akhtar in a tweet on X.
https://x.com/shoaib100mph/status/1784375105273147895
In another tweet, he said: “Returned to Gaddafi Stadium after a long time unveiling the trophy of T20 World Cup. What nostalgia. Really hope the boys bring it back this time around.”
Sharing the videos of loud cheers from the crowd on his X account, he said: “Those ‘shaibi shabi’ chants were so heart-touching. I wanted to go out and bowl for all of you again. Goosebumps!!”
Read more: Babar Azam cannot become a brand because he can’t speak: Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani cricket star, is famous for his lightning-fast bowling. Nicknamed the “Rawalpindi Express,” he holds the record for the fastest bowling speed in cricket history, clocking an incredible 161.3 kilometers per hour. After retiring from playing, Akhtar started his own YouTube channel where he chats about cricket matches and the Pakistani cricket scene.
He continuously gives interesting and crisp remarks on his YouTube channel. In one of his popular statements, he said that Babar Azam could not become the biggest brand of Pakistan Cricket because he couldn’t speak.
Akhtar said that Babar Azam cannot become the biggest brand because he is not immaculate in his communication and does not speak fluently.
He added that current cricketer needs to be media savvy in order to promote their brand image. “Cricket is one job and handling media is another job. If you can’t speak, I am sorry but you won’t be able to express yourself on the TV,” Akhtar said.
“I want to openly say that Babar Azam should be the biggest brand in Pakistan, but why he hasn’t become the biggest brand in Pakistan? Because he can’t speak,” he added.