‘Shaheen Afridi Dropped but Babar Azam Remains?’: Former Cricketer Questions Pakistan’s Second Test Selection
Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie has stated that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will be rested for the second Test match against Bangladesh, which begins in Rawalpindi on Friday, so he can spend time with his newborn kid and family.
Afridi struggled to find his flow for much of the innings as Bangladesh stunned a tough home team with a brilliant ten-wicket performance in the first Test, their first victory over Pakistan in over 14 meetings.
Ahmad Shahzad, a former batter for Pakistan, has now questioned the choice to bench Afridi.
Ahmad Shanzad posted a video to his official X handle saying, “You lost to Zimbabwe, then to Ireland, then to the USA, then to India, and now you have lost to Bangladesh as well.
Is Shaheen Afridi alone to blame for recent losses? No, he is not the only one at fault. All those implicated in these losses ought to be held to account. Inform this nation. It is incorrect to blame Shaheen Afridi alone for all of the losses.
Take a look at his performances; his attitude is off. It’s okay that you dropped him. But what about other people? How did they perform? How has Abdullah Shafique performed over the past eight games? After 25 games, you welcomed Saim Ayub back. How is he doing now? How has Babar Azam performed in the previous 14 Test innings?
Therefore, Pakistan will not be on the right route by eliminating just Afridi; some difficult choices will need to be made.
And it’s important to question those who contributed to these losses with subpar performances. Since no one is more important to the nation or cricket than them, they should also be held accountable. Everything else comes after the country. We are aware of everything, as are the people in charge of PCB affairs, regardless of how well they handle public relations, how much they conceal behind their own achievements, or how much money they contribute.
Now is the moment to question everyone who has been engaged, not just one, if you truly want to go in the correct route. This is not how things will operate,” remarked Ahmad Shahzad.
Pakistan has been having a tough time lately, as they were eliminated early from the T20 World Cup this year. A three-match journey to Australia resulted in a rout in their most recent Test series.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed has been called up by the home squad after the first Test was played with an all-pace attack.
Former Australian pacer Gillespie acknowledged that it will be difficult to even the series, but he supported Shan Masood, the captain under pressure, who has lost all four of his Test matches as captain and struggled at the bat in the first match with six and 14.
Pakistan collapsed to a pitiful 146 in their second innings after being shaken by Bangladesh’s response to their declared first-inning score of 448-6.
On a flat Rawalpindi field, Mushfiqur Rahim struck a stunning 191 to help the visitors reach their highest-ever total against Pakistan of 565, taking a commanding 117-run advantage after one over.
Next, spinners Shakib Al Hasan (31-44) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-21) stunned the hosts and made them regret not playing a frontline spinner.
Bangladesh has only won two of its thirty-two international series since obtaining Test status in 2000. They have drawn three, lost 27, and drawn the West Indies (2009) and Zimbabwe (2021).
Taskin Ahmed, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, will be back for Bangladesh, which will help their speed attack. However, he will be tied with Nahid Ra for a spot in the starting eleven.
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