“He deserved it because…” - Shaheen Afridi explains the handshake with Harry Brook

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has revealed the reason behind his handshake after dismissing the England skipper Harry Brook, who went on to score an exceptional century in the 165-run chase against Pakistan in the Super8 clash.

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Speaking in the post-match press conference, Afridi called Brook a world-class player, adding that he has a very good friendship with the England captain. Moreover, he added that if anyone plays an innings as Brook did, one should appreciate him.

"He deserved it because he played a world-class innings. I think he's one of the best. Harry and I have a very good friendship as well; we played together in the PSL for Lahore Qalandars. When anyone plays an innings like that, you should appreciate them," Afridi said in the post-match press conference.

"I've never seen a batsman like him. He was properly ready for every ball to hit it. He was well prepared for us,” he added.

Furthermore, Afridi reckoned that the Pakistan batters failed to create an impact in the middle overs, losing wickets at regular intervals as they managed to post only 164/9 in 20 overs on a spinning wicket. 

“On a wicket like this, you need a partnership and you need a set batsman in that position who can bat throughout those middle overs. Unfortunately, we lost wickets back-to-back, which is why we didn't get that 180-190 score," Afridi noted.

"Even when a wicket went out, he was still at the crease, rotating the strike and building the partnership. I think we missed that opportunity,” he concluded.

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Delving into the details of the game, Pakistan batted first and posted 164/9 in 20 overs. In response, England sealed the deal in 19.1 overs with two wickets in hand. Harry Brook was the wrecker-in-chief with a 100-run knock off 51 balls with 10 fours and four sixes.

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