Shahid Afridi Reveals Shaheen Afridi Called Him Before India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Clash. Here's Why

The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the biggest in the world of sport. When the two teams face-off, especially in a World Cup game, all eyes are glued to the television sets. Both teams recently met in a T20 World Cup Super 12 fixture earlier this year in Dubai where Pakistan beat India in a one-sided game, registering a 10-wicket win to start their campaign. Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi was the star of the show as he dealt a few early blows to India, who could not recover from them.

Playing against India for the first time, Shaheen took three for 31 from his four overs, helping Pakistan register their first-ever win over India in a World Cup game.

However, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi revealed that the young pacer had called him prior to the game against India. He said that Shaheen had "video-called" him because he was under pressure.

"Before the first game he played against India, Shaheen video-called me and told me that 'I'm feeling a bit of pressure'. We talked for about 11-12 minutes, and I told him that god has given you the opportunity to go out and perform; take those wickets and become a hero," Afridi said on Samaa.tv.

Afridi also recalled that during his playing days, the Pakistan players couldn't sleep before the game against India, adding that the pressure has always been immense during the clash between the two countries.

"If you ask me, we couldn't sleep before the games (against India). Some players used to move to one corner while some used to wait for the games. Personally speaking, I used to wait for such games as people used to leave everything and watch India-Pakistan games," he added.

Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after topping Group B. However, their journey came to an end with a defeat to eventual champions Australia in the semis.

India, on the other hand, failed to get out of the Super 12 stage, making an unexpected early exit from the tournament.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Shaheen Afridi Shahid Afridi Cricket