A few eyebrows were raised when Shaheen Shah Afridi was left out from the Pakistan squad for the upcoming Test series’ against West Indies and England. But now, selection committee member Aaqib Javed has explained the reason for his exclusion. Without mincing his words, the ex-Pakistan pacer said, the selection was based on conditions and team requirements.
Doors not shut for Shaheen Shah Afridi
In 34 Tests, he has picked up 126 wickets where his average is only 28.13. Javed also added that no selection decision should be seen as a long-term one. “You make selections from tour to tour, and no selector or individual can decide someone’s career or future,” Aqib was quoted as saying by Geo News.
Javed went on to concede that the Pakistani Test side wanted more pace in their line-up. “After the last Test series, we felt that we needed more pace, which is why this squad has been selected for the West Indies and England tours,” he said. “The players who have been left out will also have to perform to earn their place again. We cannot guarantee that because these bowlers have been picked now, they will continue playing for the next five years. It all depends on the conditions,” he added.
Lastly, he said that Shaheen has to decide his formats of priority; workload management remains a major part of decision-making as far as selection is concerned. “Shaheen is an outstanding bowler. At times, you have to assess which format of cricket you want to focus on and where your greater interest lies,” Aqib explained.
Pakistan squad for England & West Indies: Babar Azam (capt), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Mohammad Ghazi Ghouri, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah.
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