Ricky Ponting Highlights Abdullah Shafique’s Major Technical Issues

Ricky Ponting, the two-time World Cup-winning captain, provided analysis on the dismissals of Pakistan’s opening batter, Abdullah Shafique, in both innings of the ongoing second Test in Melbourne during his commentary on Channel 7.

Ponting emphasized the similarity in Shafique’s footwork during both dismissals. He explained, “In the first innings, his front foot was aligned with the middle stumps, but he failed to cover the off stump, leading to a drive that extended far from his body.”

He further noted, “The second innings dismissal mirrored the first, with the front foot positioned straight down the wicket. Pay attention to how far the ball passes him from his eyes.”

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Ponting highlighted that Shafique’s front knee lacked the necessary bend towards the ball; it remained relatively straight.

Abdullah Shafique's dismissals in Melbourne both came from a similar footwork issue, as Ricky Ponting explains #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/0SW98tDgyI

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 29, 2023

He clarified, “With a straight knee, the impact is farther away from the ball. In Australia, he needs to better align with the ball, allowing it to come through his front knee in the desired direction.”

Abdullah faced an early exit today, managing only 4 runs against Mitchell Starc. However, he previously performed well, scoring 62 runs in the first innings before being caught and bowled by Pat Cummins in the first over.

With the home side setting a challenging target of 317 runs, Pakistan faced early setbacks as both openers, Imam and Shafique, departed quickly. Shan Masood, however, contributed aggressively with a score of 60 runs. Babar Azam, on the other hand, struggled again, managing only 41 runs. The Green Shirts find themselves in a precarious situation, losing half of their side with over 100 runs still needed.