Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has chosen not to get drawn into the recent comments made by India’s Suryakumar Yadav. After a thrashing six-wicket win over the Salman Agha-led side, Suryakumar claimed that the India-Pakistan rivalry no longer holds weight due to their dominant head-to-head record.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s must-win Super 4 clash against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2025, Afridi downplayed Suryakumar’s comments, stating his team is focused solely on lifting the trophy.
“That's his view, let him say. When we meet (in the likely Asia Cup final on Sunday), we will see what happens. Right now, our goal is to win the Asia Cup, and we will give our best effort for that,” Shaheen said.
Notably, India maintain a healthy 12-3 T20I record against Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. They have faced off twice in the tournament so far, with India emerging as comfortable winners on both occasions. However, off-field drama has further intensified the spotlight on their encounters. The Indian players notably skipped handshakes before and after the matches to show solidarity with victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which rattled the Pakistan team after their first clash on September 14. So much so that they even threatened to boycott the Asia Cup.
Rauf, Farhan under scrutiny
Meanwhile, several Pakistani players, including Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, have come under scrutiny for their on-field conduct. Rauf appeared to mock Indian fans, while Farhan’s controversial gun-firing celebration during their last match raised eyebrows. When asked whether such behaviour was premeditated, Afridi noted that the Pakistan players prefer to play aggressively.
“There is no specific plan to be aggressive, we have always been aggressive, from the time we started playing. This is how cricket is played and the team morale is kept high,” Shaheen said. “Our job is to play cricket, people can think what they want. We are here to win Asia Cup. We are trying our best to fulfil Pakistan's hopes,” he added.