Is Shaheen Afridi’s test future in Jeopardy? Here’s what the Coach says

Aaqib Javed, interim coach of Pakistan, hinted at the cause of fast bowler Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad of Pakistan. The 24-year-old left-handed boomer that last played a first-class Pakistan test game in October 2024 against England. Following an underwhelming exhibition in the series opener, the first two matches of the subsequent home series did not include him in the playing XI. Despite very few chances, Shaheen was not selected for the South African tour, a two-match series contemplating his future as a Test cricketer. With him in absence from the squad, there were major question marks over his Test prospects.

In mid-December 2024, comments emerged suggesting that he was absent as part of the workload management plan, yet still plying his trade in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the 2nd Test between Pakistan and West Indies in Multan, coach Javed was asked about Shaheen’s unsolicited switching in and out of the test side to which he responded, “In four-day cricket he is not participating these days, because of this reason the Pakistan selectors were told not to consider him for any match anymore in the longest form of the game.”

According to Javed, the lack of playing time or matches before approaching a Test wrecks the rhythm of the bowlers, which is part of why Afridi has not been playing Test cricket.

`Yes, there is One-day cricket and Test cricket. Too much cricket is being played these days. If you play all-three formats, you might even get to bowl in Tests if you are in a series but then you may not bowl for three months. So you have to rehabilitate yourself again in four-day cricket before suspecting that you may go back to play Test cricket,” Javed was quoted during the pre-match press conference.

Fast bowlers, meanwhile, would be found struggling to get out the tail-enders toward the end when they bowl 20-25 overs a day, which also explains why they are tired.

“If Shaheen Afridi had played (in South Africa), Mohammad Abbas wouldn’t have played. But because of Abbas, it got this close. So, all the bowlers must prepare for Test matches before the series by playing four-day cricket. Only in this way will they be able to build the endurance that is needed for first-class cricket,” he said.

Abbas was called up to the Pakistan Test team for the South Africa series after an absence of more than three years. In the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion, this fast bowler picked up six wickets in the 2nd innings.

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