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Shaheen Afridi reportedly shocked at his 'unfair treatment' by Pakistan management
Pakistan cricket seems to be enduring a rough patch, not only with its on-field performances but also with team dynamics. Currently, Pakistan is hosting Bangladesh for a two-match red-ball series, with the final match underway in Rawalpindi. The guests handed Pakistan a 10-wicket defeat in the first match of the series. This significant margin of defeat seemed to mock the Pakistan test side, which began the match with a first-innings declaration under the leadership of Shan Masood. The drama surrounding Pakistan’s defeat intensified with the decision to drop the team’s primary pacer, Shaheen Afridi, from the squad for the final test.
The Shaheen Afridi snub for Pak vs Ban final Test
While Pakistan, under the newly appointed test captain Shan Masood, faltered in various aspects during the first match against Bangladesh, the absence of Afridi's expertise became glaringly evident. The conditions in the first match were ideal for Afridi to exploit. But the pacer failed to make an impact on the grassy wicket, managing only two wickets for 96 runs, with both dismissals being of tailenders. Moreover, Afridi’s pace, the most lethal asset in his arsenal, has significantly diminished since his return from injury, with his deliveries now clocking in the 140s. Consequently, Afridi was dropped just before the second test. While the team’s head coach, Jason Gillespie, tried to explain the rationale behind Afridi’s omission, recent reports suggest that the pacer is 'shocked' by the decision made by the team management.
Before the second Pakistan vs. Bangladesh match, as Afridi was dropped from the Pakistani XI, head coach Jason Gillespie mentioned that Afridi agreed with the decision. Gillespie was cautious in his statement, explaining that Afridi, who recently became a father, would use the break to focus on a few aspects of his game.
"Shaheen misses out on this game. We've had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. Shaheen's been given some feedback. He's working on some things with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He's working really well with Azhar Mahmood. We want to see Shaheen at his best because we've got a lot of cricket in all formats, and Shaheen's going to play a really big role in that," Gillespie said, announcing that spinner Abrar Ahmed would replace Shaheen Afridi in the match.
Shaheen Afridi terms his snub 'unfair'
Recent reports from Pakistan have indicated that Afridi is rather displeased with his treatment by the team management. After the first test, Afridi was granted a break to visit Karachi to see his wife and newborn son, Aliyar. However, upon returning to the squad, he was informed of his removal from the team for the second test. Afridi, who had rushed back from Karachi to Rawalpindi, was reportedly 'shocked' by the management's decision and is said to have considered it 'unfair treatment.'
Shaheen Afridi has been at the center of the management’s adjustments to the team composition for some time now. Previously, Afridi was stripped of his T20I captaincy position just before the T20 World Cup and was also removed as the test vice-captain. As Pakistan plays against Bangladesh in the final red-ball fixture, it remains to be seen if Shaheen Afridi will be considered by the management for the upcoming Test series against England next month.
