PAK vs AUS: "Being Expensive Is Shaheen Shah Afridi's Style.."- Shan Masood

Shaheen Shah Afridi did not have an auspicious outing for Pakistan in the first Test against Australia in Perth. He has faced a massive dip in his form since his return from a knee injury. However, Pakistan test skipper Shan Masood has offered his unwavering support to the left-arm pacer after his slump. In a recent media encounter, Shan Masood acknowledged the difficulties faced by fast bowlers while recovering from such an injury.

Shan Masood highlighted Shaheen Shah Afridi’s commendable discipline and willpower to make a comeback from his injury. The skipper talked about his own experiences recovering from a similar injury. Shaheen Shah Afridi could only manage to take two wickets in the first Test in Perth.

“Returning from a serious injury is never easy, especially for a fast bowler like Shaheen who faced challenges with his pace and the forces involved in bowling. His comeback shows immense discipline and willpower. Having experienced a similar injury, I understand the difficulties.”

Shaheen has been a standout performer for Pakistan in all formats, and occasional challenges are part of the game. Despite plays and misses, he bowled well in Perth, and as an opposition team, sometimes you play off the best bowler and then capitalize,” Shan Masood said.

Shan Masood Believes In Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Potential To Turn The Tide In Pakistan’s Favour

Shan Masood has shown faith in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s potential to turn the match in Pakistan’s favor in a swift turn of moments. “Shaheen was expensive, but that’s his style. Despite some tough luck in Perth, he has the potential to turn a match around instantly. We’re optimistic about his performance for Pakistan here,” he said.

The Boxing Day Test between Australia and Pakistan will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) starting from December 26. Australia won the first Test by a huge margin of 360 runs and they will leave no cards unturned to quench their thirst for victory against Pakistan in the second Test. Pakistan is going to face a tough challenge at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.

Australia has announced an unchanged XI for the second Test and will look for another win with a formidable lineup. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also announced a twelve-member team for the second Test with three changes. Sarfaraz Ahmed will sit for the second Test and Mohammad Rizwan will be keeping wickets for Pakistan at Melbourne.

Whereas Faheem Ashraf has been benched for the Second Test with Mir Hamza to replace him. Khurram Shahzad was ruled out of the series due to an injury and will be replaced by Hasan Ali in the team.

Here Are The Two Teams For The Second Test Between Australia And Pakistan:

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan XII: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan