Pakistan team management wanted Shaheen Shah Afridi to rest; pacer turned down request

The Pakistan team management wanted to give fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi adequate rest in order to manage his workload. However, as per reports, the left-arm speedster refused to warm the benches. The 21-year-old youngster, recently, was a part of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I series in South Africa where he picked up nine wickets from seven matches.

As per sources, the management had asked Afridi to rest on more than one occasion so that he doesn’t end up with an injury. Mohammad Wasim, the national chief selector, also asked him to take some time off from the sport during the tour of South Africa. However, the Khyber Agency-born Shaheen didn’t leave the field.

Afridi’s performance during the tour came under the scanner. In the ODIs, he had the second-worst economy rate of 6.57 among his teammates. Even in the four-match T20I series, he could manage only three wickets and leaked runs at a rate of 8.86.

Going by reports in Cricket Pakistan, Afridi will sit out for a few games on the tour of Zimbabwe that gets underway on Wednesday, April 21. During a press conference on April 17, bowling coach Waqar Younis said that youngsters might get a chance on the Zimbabwe tour.

The Zimbabwe tour consists of three T20Is and two Tests. All the matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club.

Aqib Javed also asked the management to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi

Previously, Aqib Javed, the former Pakistan fast bowler, also wished for Shaheen to not play every other match.

“It is injustice with Shaheen to make him play every match. Pakistan team should manage his workload carefully. They should not play him when the team has lost the series or adopt a proper rotation policy. Shaheen should only play those matches which are important,” Javed had said.

Javed also went on to say that with the new ball, Shaheen is better than Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. However, the veteran called Bumrah a better bowler in the death overs.

“[Jasprit] Bumrah is a really good bowler who is good at everything. Right, now he is better than Shaheen [Afridi] in terms of death bowling. Although, with the new ball, Shaheen is ahead of him,” Javed mentioned.