Ahead of Pakistan’s second Test against West Indies in Multan, Pakistan’s head coach Aaqib Javed addressed the absence of pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Test series, explaining that Afridi’s lack of participation in domestic four-day matches leading up to the series was a key factor in his non-selection.
In a pre-match press conference, as reported by Wisden, Aaqib noted the growing challenge of managing players who participate in multiple formats, emphasizing that Afridi’s absence from domestic four-day cricket matches hindered his readiness for Test cricket. He said:
“If you are playing all three formats, then, in one series, you are bowling in Tests, where you need to bowl 25-30 overs, and then for three months, you are not playing any four-day games, and then you again bowl in Test cricket. This is the very reason why the energy level of fast bowlers lowers when you need to bowl to the tail-enders after sending down 20-25 overs in a day.”
Aaqib further mentioned that had Shaheen Afridi been available for the Test series against South Africa in Cape Town, Mohammad Abbas would not have played. However, Abbas’s performance was crucial in the second Test against South Africa, where he helped the match reach an interesting conclusion. Aaqib reiterated the importance of fast bowlers playing four-day cricket to maintain their stamina for the rigors of Test matches.
Pakistan’s performance in the ongoing West Indies Test series has been boosted by the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, as the team seeks to end their challenging ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle on a high. Pakistan had a commanding win in the first Test at Multan, securing a 127-run victory within three days. With their confidence high, Pakistan is aiming to clinch the series and salvage their WTC hopes after mixed results in previous series, including a whitewash loss to Bangladesh and a comeback win against England.
Despite Shaheen Afridi‘s absence, Pakistan is heading into the second Test with a strong squad. The inclusion of spinners like Noman Ali and Sajid Khan has been crucial in their turnaround, and the team will look to build on this momentum as they face West Indies in the final match of the series.
Squads for the Test Series:
Pakistan Squad:
- Shan Masood (C)
- Muhammad Hurraira
- Babar Azam
- Kamran Ghulam
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (W)
- Salman Agha
- Noman Ali
- Sajid Khan
- Khurram Shahzad
- Abrar Ahmed
- Mohammad Ali
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Rohail Nazir
- Kashif Ali
West Indies Squad:
- Kraigg Brathwaite (C)
- Mikyle Louis
- Keacy Carty
- Kavem Hodge
- Alick Athanaze
- Justin Greaves
- Tevin Imlach (W)
- Kevin Sinclair
- Gudakesh Motie
- Jomel Warrican
- Jayden Seales
- Joshua Da Silva
- Amir Jangoo
- Anderson Phillip
- Kemar Roach