Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced multi-format teams for the South Africa tour. But, one big name is missing in this list and that is Shaheen Afridi. He has been given a place in the ODI and T20I team. But, he has been dropped from the test team. This decision is surprising cricket fans and experts, because Shaheen has been Pakistan’s leading fast bowler for the last few years.
…So that’s why there was no conversation between Dhoni and Harbhajan for 10 years!
Why was Shaheen thrown out?
Many questions are being raised regarding Shaheen’s absence from the Test team. Selection committee member and interim white-ball coach Aaqib Javed clarified during the team announcement that the decision has been taken to keep Shaheen fit and fresh, especially keeping in mind the 2025 Champions Trophy. Aaqib also said that it is important to maintain stability in ODI selection, hence Shaheen has been included in this format. But, this strategy is the reason for his absence from the Test team.
Questions raised on selection in T20I
However, if Shaheen is being rested due to fitness reasons, then including him in the T20I team raises questions on this strategy. The T20 World Cup is still two years away, so why was Shaheen included in this format?
Shaheen is struggling in test cricket
Mir Hamza has been included in the Test team as a replacement for Shaheen. He is also a left-arm pacer and is considered a direct replacement for Shaheen. The selectors might want to try new options as Shaheen has been struggling in Test cricket recently.
In the last 5 Test matches, Shaheen has taken only 12 wickets, out of which 6 wickets came in a single match. These figures show that his form has declined. In such a situation, apart from fitness, performance can also be a major reason for his ouster.
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