Delhi: Pakistan’s star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has not been included in the team for the two-match Test series against West Indies at home. In such a situation, the question arises whether Afridi’s career in red ball cricket is in trouble. Let us tell you that Shaheen has been kept out of 8 out of the last 12 test matches.
The left-arm pacer has taken 116 wickets in 32 Test matches so far. He was also not selected in the team for the Test series played against South Africa, when the selectors made it clear that they want to rest Shaheen for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starting from February 19.
The surprising thing is that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) provided No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Shaheen to play in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), while at the same time the Test series was going on in South Africa. The selectors also left out fast bowlers Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Abbas and Aamir Jamal from the squad for the two Test matches against the West Indies, while they were part of the series played in South Africa. Pakistan had to face 2-0 defeat in that series.
A source close to the selectors said that Shaheen and Naseem are being prepared for the Champions Trophy. According to the source, “The selectors want Shaheen and Naseem to give their best performance in the Champions Trophy, because it is a 50-over competition and we are the defending champions.”
Pakistan’s squad for the two Test matches against West Indies is as follows –
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam ul Haq, Rohail Nazir, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Aga, Mohammad Ali, Khurrun Shahzad, Kashif Ali, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Huraira.