T20 World Cup 2021: Shoaib Malik salutes Shahid Afridi after Pakistan beat Afghanistan

Pakistan already have one foot in the door as far as qualifying for the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final is concerned. On Friday, October 29, Babar Azam and Co. defeated Afghanistan by five wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Men in Green also stayed unbeaten in the mega event, having won three games in a row. After the match, Shoaib Malik was seen in a jolly mood.

From the ground, the 39-year-old saluted former all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who was present in the stands, cheering for Pakistan. Afridi remains one of Pakistan’s greatest all-rounders, especially in limited-overs cricket. Although he last played international cricket back in 2018, he has continued plying his trade in T20 tournaments around the world.

Shoaib Malik’s video

Malik, meanwhile, has scored only 45 runs from two matches at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 128.57. Albeit he hasn’t racked up a whole lot of runs, he has brought in a sense of calmness in the Pakistan batting unit. In the match against New Zealand, he stayed unbeaten on 26 and helped his team go past the finishing line.

Babar’s men were in trouble, losing five wickets after which Malik stitched together a handy partnership with Asif Ali. Even in the game against the Afghans, he made a 15-ball 19 at a critical stage before Naveen-ul-Haq found his outside edge.

Recently, Malik has conjured praises from former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan. The veteran seamer said that Malik brings in a lot of experience and is someone, who won’t panic when put under extreme pressure.

“Fans often ask why senior players like Shoaib Malik are still playing. They are here for this reason only. They know how to absorb pressure in situations like these. They will not be impatient, and in pressure situations, patience is the most important thing,” Zaheer told Cricbuzz.

“I think Shoaib Malik was a last-minute addition to the squad. He proved the selectors right today,” he added.

Pakistan will next be facing Namibia on Tuesday, November 2 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Their last Super 12 match is against Scotland on Sunday, November 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Check the latest updates of the T20 World Cup schedule, T20 World cup Teams and Squads, T20 World Cup Points table, and more on CricTracker.