Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, elaborated on the significant decision behind excluding Shaheen Afridi from the playing XI for the third and final AUS vs PAK Test in Sydney, set to commence on January 3. Despite being down 2-0 in the series after losses in Perth and Brisbane, Pakistan made two major decisions, sidelining opener Imam-ul-Haq and pacer Shaheen.
Shaheen, anticipated to play a pivotal role in the bowling lineup, was expected to fill the void left by the absence of Naseem Shah. With Khurram Shahzad ruled out due to a stress fracture, Shaheen, who had bowled the most overs (99.2) in the series, partnered with debutant Aamer Jamal and Mir Hamza, another debutant from the Boxing Day Test.
“Shaheen Afridi has bowled most overs in world cricket in recent times. He gives his 150 percent in the training sessions as well. And keeps motivating his teammates. He is our main player. We’ll make sure we look after Shaheen Afridi really well,” Shan Masood said while speaking to the press on the eve of the 3rd Test.
In the final Test, Pakistan opted for a three-man pace attack, pairing Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamal with Hasan Ali, while introducing off-spinner Sajid Khan to the playing XI for the first time in the series.
Masood emphasized the need to handle Shaheen carefully due to his past injury proneness. The left-arm pacer, a key player in Pakistan’s recent World Cup campaign, has borne the brunt of the team’s bowling responsibilities, delivering 360 overs in international cricket in 2023 after a lengthy injury layoff.
With Sydney expected to offer a favorable batting track, Pakistan faces a challenging task. All attention will be on David Warner, playing his final Test in front of his home crowd.
