Not workload management! Aaqib Javed reveals the real reason behind Shaheen Afridi’s absence from the Test team

Shaheen Afridi’s exile from the Pakistan Test team surprised many. When he was released by the Pakistan team after the first Test of the three-match series against England at home last year, he was expected to be picked up by the team for the series in South Africa.

With conditions in South Africa favorable for fast bowlers, it looked like the Pacer would find a place in the Pakistan team. However, the selectors and the team manager decided otherwise because they did not remember the left-arm pacer.

At the time, reports stated that the reason behind Shaheen Afridi’s absence from the Test team was workload management. In his absence, Pakistan lost both Tests against the African outfit. Prior to the Test series, Afridi played in the T20Is as well as the ODI series against the Proteas.

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Aaqib reported on Shaheen Afridi’s absence:

Pakistan interim head coach Aaqib Javed has revealed the reason behind Shaheen Afridi’s absence from the Test squad. He was interacting with the media ahead of the second Test against the West Indies when one of the reporters asked him the reason for Afridi not playing the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

In response, Javed made it clear that the Pakistan selectors did not pick him in the squad as he no longer plays four-day cricket. He stated that not getting enough matching practice for the Test match does not affect the pace of the bowlers and this is the main reason behind Afridi’s absence from the Test side. Javed also urged the Pakistani bowlers to prepare for the Tests by playing red ball cricket in the domestic circuit.

There is One Day Cricket and Test Cricket. With so much cricket being played today, if you play all three formats, you might be bathed in Tests during the series, but then you don’t play any four-day cricket for the next three months. So when you come back to Test matches, you have to rebuild to bowl in that format,” Javed said.

“That’s one of the reasons why fast bowlers, when they bowl 20-25 in a day, struggle to maintain the energy needed to get through.

“If Shaheen Afridi had played, Mohammad Abbas would not have played. Because of Abbas, the match became closer.

So, all those bowlers have to focus on preparing for the Test matches by playing four-day cricket before the series. Only then will he build the stamina needed for Test-level cricket,” he added.

So Aqib Javed dropped Shaheen Afridi from Tests because he doesn’t play four day cricket.👍 pic.twitter.com/by6tr2v2tk

– Salman 🇵🇰 (@salmanasif2007) January 24, 2025

Meanwhile, Pakistan have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the ongoing two-match series against West Indies. They won the first test by 127 runs. The second test will start on Saturday (January 25).