Team director Mohammad Hafeez has upheld Pakistan's choice to field without their primary fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the third Test, stating his responsibility towards the Pakistani players went beyond singular matches and series. He further mentioned that it was the team management, not the player, who ultimately decided.
Addressing the media after Pakistan's loss to Australia by eight wickets at the SCG, Hafeez expressed the necessity to focus on Afridi's sustained career in the long run.
"He bowled really well in those two games and bowled the most of any bowler," he said. "When I asked him before the third Test, his body was sore. And I need to look after him more than anything."
Afridi's exclusion further weakened an already depleted Pakistan bowling attack that had started the series without the injured Naseem Shah, the unavailable Haris Rauf, and the unfit Abrar Ahmed.
Shaheen bowled just under 100 overs while none of the fast bowlers from either team—even those who participated in three Tests—bowled anywhere near that number. By the end of the second Test, the second most active bowler was off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who had delivered fewer than 70 overs.
The short gap between the MCG and SCG Tests proved too demanding for Afridi."If someone thinks their body is sore and they can't deliver the best, we need to look after the career of the individual. I will never make a decision where a player can lose his career for six months or a year. It was a tough call but we made that decision for the betterment of the players. Because we cannot make that decision at the cost of a player's career."
Remember, the decision to sideline Afridi sparked a heated debate, with allegations that the PCB favoured T20 cricket over the longer format. Former Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were particularly vocal in their criticism, with Wasim dismissing the assertion that the management had rested Afridi, suggesting instead that the player had chosen to make himself unavailable.
"Let's not pretend this has anything to do with the management," Wasim said on Fox Cricket. "It is solely Shaheen's decision. Straight after this, there are five T20s in New Zealand, and Shaheen's the captain. But in T20 cricket, who cares? It's there for entertainment and it's there for financial gain for cricket boards, for players, but cricketers should know that Test cricket is the ultimate."
Waqar remarked that Afridi's absence "brought a smile to my face," deeming it "quite surprising".
"I anticipated his participation in this Test match because he performed well in the previous one. He seemed to regain his form, resembling the old Shaheen Afridi, exhibiting good swing and improving his pace."
Afridi was named captain of the Pakistan T20I series in November and appointed vice-captain of the Test side before the first Test in Perth. However, he has not yet led a match. His inaugural responsibility will be a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, scheduled from January 12 to 21.
- Shaheen Afridi
