Afridi said he was touring with an junior Pakistan side at the time and watching Starc at the peak of his powers had helped him learn the nuances of being a quality fast bowler.

“He’s a legend,” Afridi said of Starc ahead of his first match in Australia’s domestic Big Bash T20 competition.

“When ‘Starcy’ played that 2015 World Cup, I was playing for the Under 16 Pakistan team at that time, so…I followed him to try to bowl many times the way he swung the ball.

“He bowled a fuller ball throughout that World Cup and had very good success.”