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

Shaheen Afridi's exile from Pakistan's Test team has 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, it was expected that he would be recalled to the team for the series in South Africa.

With conditions in South Africa favorable for fast bowlers, it seemed highly likely that the pacer would find a place in the Pakistan team. However, the selectors and the team management decided otherwise as they did not recall the left-arm pacer.

At that time, reports stated that the reason behind Shaheen Afridi's absence from the Test team was workload management. In his absence, Pakistan lost both the Tests against the African outfit. Before the Test series, Afridi played in the T20I as well as the ODI series against the Proteas.

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Aaqib Javed on Shaheen Afridi's absence:

Pakistan's interim head coach Aaqib Javed has revealed the reason behind Shaheen Afridi's absence from the Test team. He was interacting with the media ahead of the second Test against West Indies when one of the journalists 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 team because he does not play four-day cricket anymore. He stated that not getting enough match practice for a Test match affects the bowlers' rhythm and it is the main reason behind Afridi's absence from the Test side. Javed also urged the Pakistan bowlers to prepare themselves for Tests by playing red-ball cricket in the domestic circuit.

There is one-day cricket and Test cricket. With so much cricket being played nowadays, if you play all three formats, you might bowl in Tests during a series, but then for the next three months, you don’t play any four-day cricket. So, when you return to Test matches, you have to rebuild yourself for bowling in that format," said Javed.

"That’s one reason why fast bowlers, when they bowl 20–25 overs in a day, struggle to maintain the energy needed to get tail-enders out towards the end.

"If Shaheen Afridi had played, Mohammad Abbas wouldn’t have played. It was because of Abbas that the match got as close as it did.

So, all these bowlers need to focus on preparing themselves for Test matches by playing four-day cricket before the series. Only then will they build the stamina required for Test-level cricket," he added.

So Aqib Javed dropped Shaheen Afridi from TESTs because he don’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 Test series against West Indies. They won the first Test by 127 runs. The second Test will be getting underway on Saturday (January 25).