It was a shocking decision from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to leave out one of their premier pace bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi, from the upcoming Test series against South Africa, which will be played in Centurion on Boxing Day, before the new year’s Test take place at the Newlands in Cape Town.
Shaheen Afridi was dropped from the red-ball series against England at home on the back of his poor performance with the ball in Multan and the series before that against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. The left-arm pacer had a very good time in the ODI series against Australia away from home.
The 24-year-old picked up a two-wicket haul in the opening game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before recording two back-to-back three-wicket hauls in Adelaide and Perth. The struggle started in the shortest format as he could collect a solitary wicket in Hobart across three innings.
Shaheen Afridi was given a break during their three-match ODI and T20I series in Zimbabwe to be in full shape for their Protea tour. He made a return in both the white-ball squad for the South Africa series but was dropped stunningly for the red-ball leg.
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When it comes to his five-day format of the game, the pacer has enjoyed 116 wickets in 53 innings at an average of just under 28 and a strike rate of around 53 with the help of four five-wicket hauls and 12 four-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/51 in an innings.
Shoaib Akhtar calls for the drop of central contract of Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi has been part of a couple of Test matches in the Rainbow Nation, where he has grabbed nine scalps in three innings at an average of under 27. The selectors have brought back the right-arm pacer, Mohammad Abbas, in the series, but the team is expected to miss the thunder pace and experience of the bowler in the series.
The former pacer of the country, Shoaib Akhtar, has called for the cancellation of the central contract for the pacer, besides asking him to keep on bowling for about 150 overs.
“Technically, my top fast bowler is Shaheen Afridi. I would have stood beside him and asked him to bowl these 150 overs. I wouldn’t have left him. I would have canceled his central contract. I can’t believe it, and someone needs to have a discussion. If not today, then tomorrow, but be straight.” The Rawalpindi expressed discussed on a local cricket show.
The former opening batter of the side, Mohammad Hafeez, was present in the show, and he remarked that the pacer was not rested but dropped from the side. The reports have claimed that the fast bowler, however, has addressed that he has been given a break for the series.
Akhtar remarked that someone from the selection committee needs to have a call on whether the Khyber Agency-born pacer wants to be engaged in the longest format.
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“You need to talk with Shaheen Afridi to know if he wants to play Test cricket or not. That kind of a statement is for those situations when he might get needed to play all of a sudden.” Shoaib Akhtar shed light.
Pakistan will be hosting a two-match Test series against West Indies at home at the start of the year before getting involved in a home tri-series as preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 at home. All of these, perhaps, have worked in favor of Shaheen Afridi getting some rest.
