Shaheen Afridi in action© AFP
The future of Pakistan’s premier fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in red-ball cricket has come under a cloud after he was sidelined for the two-Test series against the West Indies at home. Shaheen has now either been dropped, sidelined or “rested” for eight out of Pakistan’s last 12 Tests since early 2024. The left-arm pacer with 116 wickets from 32 Tests was also not selected for the two-Test series in South Africa with the selectors giving the explanation that they wanted him fresh for the ICC Champions Trophy starting February 19.
Interestingly, the Pakistan Cricket Board didn’t hesitate to issue a NOC to Shaeen to go and play in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League at the same time the Tests were on in South Africa.
Even before the South African tour where Shaheen played and performed well in the T20 and ODI series, the selectors had sidelined him for the last two Tests against England at home last year and before that a Test each against Bangladesh at home and in Sydney in Australia early 2024.
In the latest setback for Shaheen, the selectors announced a 15-member squad for the two Tests against West Indies without Shaheen and also without regular pacers Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza, Muhammad Abbas and Aamir Jamal all who played in South Africa series which Pakistan lost two nil.
A source close to the selectors said that Shaheen and Naseem were both being nursed through to the Champions Trophy which begins February 19.
“The selectors want Shaheen and even Naseem at their best in the Champions Trophy as it is a 50-overs competition and we are defending champions,” the source said.
But he had no reasonable answer when reminded that Pakistan had never won a Test series in South Africa and last won a Test there in 2006. A series win or even a Test victory with Shaheen in the side on pace friendly pitches would have been a big boost for Pakistan before the ICC event.
The source insisted that the selectors had deliberated upon having Shaeen in the Test squad for the South Africa series but decided to give him a break because of the hectic cricket calender.
“But for the West Indies series there was no purpose taxing him out since both teams are out of this cycle of the World Test Championship final contention and the selectors are planning to have spin pitches in Multan.” Shaheen, still only 24 years of age, has himself in a recent interview made it clear he was ready to play Test and all formats for Pakistan.
He also dismissed suggestions he had asked the selectors to rest him for the South Africa.
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