The fact that the three pacers were only able to take six wickets between them in the Champions Trophy is evidence of Moeen Ali statements. He did, however, recognize Pakistan’s coaching system for historically turning forth game-winning pacers.
The conventional belief that Pakistan’s fast-bowling three of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf are among the greatest in the world has been refuted by former England spinner Moeen Ali.
His comments coincide with the harsh criticism Pakistan has been receiving for their dismal performance at the 2025 Champions Trophy, where they were hosting an eight-team competition and lost to New Zealand and India. They lost their third and final match against Bangladesh due to flooding.
Not only has Pakistan’s batting been problematic, but the bowling department has also fallen short. One of the main causes of Pakistan’s demise may have been the inability of the once-promising pace trio of Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris to produce positive outcomes. The trio has now witnessed Pakistan survive three group stages in as many white-ball ICC competitions as the 2023 Champions Trophy, 2024 T20 World Cup, and 2023 ODI World Cup.
“There is a belief that Pakistan boasts the best seamers, particularly among those with Pakistani ancestry. “No,” I say. Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah are all good, but they’re not the finest. Don’t misunderstand me.
Speaking with Adil Rashid on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Moeen Ali stated, “I’m not saying they’re bad, but they’re not the best in the business right now.”
“Pakistan has a talent for producing excellent fast bowlers. Once more, there is a feature of their coaching system that allows them to coach Pakistanis incredibly effectively,” he continued.
All three will play in Pakistan’s white-ball series against New Zealand, which begins in Christchurch on March 16. Naseem has been added to the ODI squad, while Afridi and Rauf have been placed in the five-match T20I series roster.