Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has hailed the Pakistan cricket team for their stunning victory in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India, hailing it as a 'monumental victory' in the history of Pakistan cricket. Very few people gave Pakistan a chance facing off against India in the final, but the lowest ranked team in the tournament surprised one and all.
Writing for ICC-Cricket.com, Afridi said, "It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive. This is one victory that Pakistan fans will remember for long. It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive."
Afridi also stated that he was proud of the manner in which Pakistan handled the pressure against India. "Rarely have I seen Pakistan deliver such a clinical performance in a tournament decider and annihilating hot favourite India came as a pleasant surprise. This Pakistan side has made me and the nation proud. I am simply overjoyed and over the moon on this astonishing success by Sarfraz Ahmed’s side."
He also heaped praise on Pakistan sensation Fakhar Zaman, who scored a century in the final. He also praised fast bowler Hasan Ali who ended up as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. "Pakistan has unearthed new heroes in a span of 14 days. From Fakhar Zaman to Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan, Pakistan has shown the world its rich talent and pedigree. In Sarfraz, it now has a captain who can perhaps take the team to unprecedented glory in the years ahead."
Afridi concluded saying that no team will take Pakistan lightly in the 2019 ICC World Cup. "The teams that might have taken Pakistan lightly in this event will never dare to repeat such a mistake again and whatever the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup may be like; Pakistan will be a serious contender for the trophy."
