Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has addressed a recent on-field altercation with South African batter Matthew Breetzke during their ODI tri-nation series match.
The incident took place when Shaheen intentionally impeded Breetzke’s path while running for a single, resulting in physical contact. The situation escalated into a verbal exchange before officials intervened to restore order.
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Shaheen later revealed that his actions were strategic, aimed at disrupting Breetzke’s focus to secure his wicket, emphasising that the incident was strictly cricket-related.
“For the first time, Matthew didn’t say anything. I kept teasing him to get a wicket. Whatever happened on the field stayed there. Matthew and I met, shook hands, and became good friends.”
The International Cricket Council penalised Shaheen with a 25 percent match fee fine for violating Article 2.12 of the Code of Conduct, which addresses inappropriate physical contact during international matches.
Shaheen also discussed Pakistan’s ongoing challenges in the final overs of matches during the tri-nation series.
“We admit that we haven’t been performing well in the final overs,” Shaheen acknowledged.
The Pakistan team is now focusing on addressing these bowling performance issues, particularly their effectiveness in crucial match situations.