Former England pacer Stuart Broad admits he is fan of Shaheen Shah Afridi

(Source- Twitter)

Former England bowler Stuart Broad admitted that he is a massive fan of Pakistan left-arm speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi. The veteran pacer recently retired after playing the fifth Ashes Test match at the Oval. The Pakistan pacer is currently playing for Welsh Fire in the 2023 edition of The Hundred Men’s competition.

He was interviewed by Broad and veteran India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik before Friday’s match against Southern Brave at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The pacer made his debut in the Hundred two days ago against the Manchester Originals at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The left-arm pacer picked up wickets with his first two deliveries, dismissing the experienced Phil Salt and Laurie Evans. On the back of his spell, the Fire beat the Originals by nine runs in a rain-curtailed 40-ball match.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of my favourite bowlers to watch in the world: Stuart Broad

Broad was quoted as saying to Sky Sports, "Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of my favourite bowlers to watch in the world. He has got such a great presence about him when he runs in, and I love bowlers run in with energy and vibrancy to their run up."

"He has got such a natural skill – the way that ball swings back into the right-handers is such a pleasure to watch. And he represented the Notts Outlaws this summer, which is close to my heart. He’s one of the bowlers I admire hugely, and I want to see him do well."

Interestingly, the 23-year-old pacer played for the Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the T20 Blast earlier this year. Broad, born in Nottingham, has been a part of the Outlaws for many years. Following The Hundred, he will compete in the Asia Cup, which will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17. Shaheen is also anticipated to play an important role when Pakistan competes in the World Cup 2023, which will be hosted in India. He will look to find back his 2022 form in this World Cup.