Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has indeed approved of the selectors dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah from the squad for the two remaining Tests against England. Two days back, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to replace the previous selection committee following Pakistan’s defeat to England in Multan. The new selection committee which includes Aqib Javed, Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar, Hasan Cheema and consultant Bilal Afzal made the decision to drop Babar, Shaheen and Naseem. Yet, Javed, the former fast bowler, asserted that the players have been given a break rather than being axed.
Justifying the inclusion of Shadab, Shahid, who is also the father-in-law of Shaheen, has now approved the exclusion of the trio. In the opinion of the 47-year-old this would enable the players to play for a longer period and at the same time the BCCI will be able to experiment and nurture fresh players.
“Supporting the selectors’ decision to give Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem a break from international cricket. This move not only helps protect and extend the careers of these champion players but also gives a great opportunity to test and groom emerging talent, building strong bench strength for the future,” the former Pakistan captain posted on X.
In further developments, it has emerged that the authority of Pakistan’s skipper Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie to make the last selection for the team as well as the final playing eleven has been curtailed following the new selectors’ assumption of office in the Pakistan Cricket Board.
A dependable insider from PCB informed PTI that from now on the obnoxious powers enjoyed by the captain and head coach have been whittled down such that neither will have the upper hand on selection issues nor in drawing up the playing eleven.
“After a consultation with Shan and Gillispie, the playing eleven for the second Test referred to England has been worked out, but just like until the first Test they no longer have the last word on playing eleven’s selection,” th
