Shaheen Afridi Addresses Heated Exchange with Breetzke, Admits to On-Field Tactics

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has spoken out about his on-field altercation with South African batter Matthew Breetzke during the ODI tri-nation series match between Pakistan and South Africa. The incident took place in the 28th over of the first innings when Shaheen intentionally obstructed Breetzke as he ran for a single, leading to inappropriate physical contact and a heated argument between the two players.

Clarifying the situation, Shaheen admitted that his actions were part of a strategy to unsettle Breetzke and take his wicket. However, he emphasized that the tension was limited to the field, and there were no hard feelings between them after the game. “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,” Shaheen shared in an interview, as quoted by Geo News.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) took disciplinary action against the Pakistan speedster for his actions, imposing a fine of 25 percent of his match fee. He was found guilty of violating Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which pertains to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee, or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match.”

Beyond this incident, Shaheen also addressed Pakistan’s recent struggles in the death overs, a concern that has been exposed in the ongoing tri-nation series. In the series opener against New Zealand, Shaheen and Naseem Shah were tasked with bowling the final overs, but Glenn Phillips took full advantage, smashing 71 runs in the last four overs.

A similar pattern was seen in the match against South Africa, where Pakistan’s bowlers once again struggled to contain runs in the death overs. Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, and Khushdil Shah were handed the responsibility of finishing the innings but ended up conceding 46 runs in the final four overs, allowing South Africa to post a massive 352/5 total.

Acknowledging the issue, Shaheen admitted that Pakistan needs to improve in this critical phase of the game. “We admit that we haven’t been performing well in the final overs,” he stated, recognizing the challenge the team faces in closing out innings effectively.