Pakistan needs 508 runs to win the second match against Sri Lanka.
Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan captain, slammed Fawad Alam for his poor batting performance in the ongoing second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Fawad had a poor Australia series at home, where he could manage 0, 9, 13, and 11 in two Tests, but he was recalled to the Test side after his consistent performance in domestic cricket for the Sri Lanka tour.
However, Fawad didn’t get the chance in the first Test but returned to the playing XI for the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Well, things remained the same for the left-hander, as he was dismissed for 24 runs off 69 balls with Pakistan bundled out for just 231 and now they need 508 runs to win the second match against Sri Lanka.
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In response to his performance, Afridi stated that while playing international cricket, there will always be pressure, but it is up to the players to handle it and emerge as match winners.
Shahid Afridi said on Samaa TV: “If Fawad Alam doesn't want to take the pressure, he can come to me and play in MSL (His T10 League) instead. It's only the player himself who can handle the pressure. Even those who have performed in the past have pressure because they carry the expectations.”
The legendary all-rounder further cited the example of India’s megastar Virat Kohli to further explain his point of handling pressure at the highest level. He explained, “Even Virat Kohli, who is a top-class player, is out of form nowadays. When he was performing, people always had expectations.”
He signed off by saying, “In both cases, he had the pressure, right? Fawad Alam has played in difficult situations, and in domestic cricket, he took on all kinds of oppositions on all kinds of pitches and played long innings. I think he knows how to handle the pressure. He just has to give his best shot.”