Australia are making their first trip to Pakistan in 24 years. The multi-format series is bound to grab eyeballs as some of the best players in the world are going to lock horns with each other. One such contest will brew up between Shaheen Shah Afridi and David Warner, and former skipper Mark Waugh has had his say on who is likely to emerge triumphant.
Despite having scored 7584 runs in 91 Tests, Warner has often struggled against bowlers who have swung the ball away from him. Stuart Broad is the first name that would come to a lot of people's minds instantly and in the recently-concluded Ashes series, English pacer Mark Wood made his life difficult.
Waugh, while speaking to cricket.com.au., talked about left-hander Warner's toil against fast bowlers and admitted that Afridi will provide a stern test for him.
"I don't think Warner's looked quite as comfortable against quick bowling in recent times – Mark Wood definitely unsettled him, and Shaheen Afridi will be a big test for him," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"I don't think Warner's looked quite as comfortable against quick bowling in recent times – Mark Wood definitely unsettled him, and Shaheen Afridi will be a big test for him," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"It's a different angle and for him it's a little bit like a right-arm quick coming round the wicket – do you play the ball, or do you leave the ball?
"Generally a right-arm seamer over the wicket is going to angle across the wicket so he's probably more confident whether to leave or play the ball, but when you've got the left-armer from that different angle, he's probably not as comfortable. Shaheen Afridi's got the ability to angle in and take the ball away from David Warner, so he does pose that question.
“Then if one goes straight on, he's bringing bowleds and lbws into play. So it's a different challenge, definitely,” elaborated Waugh.
The tour gets underway with the first Test on March 4. That will be followed by two more Tests, three ODIs and a solitary T20I