Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has expressed his view that Shaheen Afridi deserved the Player of the Match award for his three-wicket performance in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh encounter in ICC World Cup 2023 at Kolkata's Eden Garden.
The match proved to be a one-sided affair, with Pakistan securing a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Irfan Pathan disagreed with the decision made by the organisers to present Fakhar Zaman with the award.
Numerous Pakistani players left a lasting impression on the spectators with their contributions to the game. Afridi and Mohammad Wasim both claimed three wickets each, while openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman each notched up half-centuries.
Zaman was presented with the Man of the Match award for his 74-ball innings of 81 runs, which included three boundaries and seven maximums. Following the conclusion of the match, Irfan Pathan took to X (formerly Twitter) to convey his opinion, stating:
"Playing against Bangladesh who is down and out in their confidence, Pakistan needed to play aggressive. They did that very well. Shaheen should have been awarded Man of the match."
It is worth noting that this marked Zaman's return to the tournament after the first game. He took the place of the out-of-form Imam-ul-Haq in the starting lineup.
Irfan Pathan appears to have made the aforementioned statement because Shaheen Afridi orchestrated this victory for Pakistan by dismissing three key Bangladeshi batters in the early stages of the game. The left-arm fast bowler claimed the wicket of opener Tanzid Hasan in the very first over.
Subsequently, Afridi sent Najmul Hossain Shanto back to the pavilion in the third over, followed by the dismissal of the in-form Mahmudullah in the middle overs. Afridi concluded with figures of 3/23 in nine overs.
His outstanding performance enabled Pakistan to bowl out Bangladesh for 204. Many supporters concurred with Pathan's view that Afridi deserved the Man of the Match accolade.
- Irfan Pathan