Shaheen Afridi warns Pakistan top order after England win

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi has urged his top-order batters to step up after the team secured an impressive 87-run victory over England in the second match of the ODI tri-series on Tuesday, stressing that greater consistency will be crucial as Pakistan build towards the 2027 World Cup.

Despite the convincing win, Pakistan’s batting performance raised concerns at the top of the order. After being asked to bat first, Pakistan suffered an early setback when Fakhar Zaman was dismissed by Gus Atkinson off the opening delivery. Saim Ayub followed in the sixth over, scoring just eight runs.

Babar Azam also struggled to accelerate, making 32 off 54 balls before being bowled by Will Jacks in the 15th over. Pakistan were left at 59 for three, putting pressure on the middle and lower order to rebuild the innings.

Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas responded with valuable half-centuries, while Faheem Ashraf provided an important late surge to lift Pakistan to 302 for nine in their allotted 50 overs.

Shaheen praised the contributions of the three batters but made it clear that Pakistan could not rely on their lower order to rescue the innings in every match.

“It was really good how Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, and Faheem Ashraf batted, but we also need our top order to fire,” the captain said.

He added that although the team had made progress, further improvements were necessary as Pakistan continued their preparations for the 2027 World Cup.

Pakistan’s bowlers then took control of England’s chase, with Minhas delivering a career-best ODI performance of six wickets for 40 runs. His outstanding spell helped Pakistan secure a comfortable victory.

Shaheen described the young all-rounder as a major prospect for Pakistan, praising both his batting and bowling abilities.

“Arafat is a very good talent, and he is a proper all-rounder,” he said, expressing hope that Minhas would continue delivering match-winning performances.

While the victory strengthened Pakistan’s confidence, Shaheen’s message was clear: the team’s World Cup ambitions will require consistent contributions from the top order as well as continued excellence from its emerging players.