"They also need to play four-day cricket" - Pakistan coach's stunning statement on Shaheen Shah Afridi ahead of PAK vs WI 2nd Test

Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed responded to questions about ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's absence from the recent South Africa tour by emphasizing the need for players to play four-day cricket to return to the Test side. Shaheen was left out of the Pakistan squad after their sixth consecutive Test loss when England beat the hosts in October 2024.

Pakistan won the next two outings to win the series 2-1, though the left-arm pacer hasn't been picked again. Despite pacer-friendly conditions in South Africa, Pakistan opted to go without Shaheen, much to the surprise of many.

Addressing the same on the eve of the second Test of the ongoing series against the West Indies, Aaqib Javed said (via Wisden):

"See, you are saying he [Shaheen] did not play in Cape Town. If Shaheen played in Cape Town, Mohammad Abbas wouldn’t have played. Abbas was playing after three years, and because of him, the match reached an interesting end. All bowlers need to target this. If they can play leagues before Test matches, they also need to play four-day cricket to ensure their stamina is of that level."

He added:

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"The thing is, there are two formats - one-dayers and Test cricket. What’s happening is that there is too much cricket and if you are playing all three formats, then, in one series, you are bowling in Tests, where you need to bowl 25-30 overs, and then for three months, you are not playing any four-day games, and then you again bowl in Test cricket. This is the very reason why the energy level of the fast bowlers’ lowers when you need to bowl to the tail-enders after sending down 20-25 overs in a day."

Shaheen is not a part of the Pakistan squad for the ongoing home series against the West Indies. Nevertheless, they lead the two-Test series 1-0, with the final Test set to be played in Multan, starting Saturday, January 25. The Men in Green won the first Test by 127 runs.

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Pakistan suffered a series whitewash in Shaheen Shah Afridi's absence in South Africa

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Pakistan fought valiantly before going down to the Proteas [Credit: Getty]

Pakistan fought admirably in the two-Test series in South Africa despite Shaheen Shah Afridi's absence. The series opener in Centurion was a thrilling contest that saw the hosts win by two wickets.

The visitors had their moments in the second Test in Cape Town but the Proteas proved too strong, winning by 10 wickets. The series loss was Pakistan's third in four bilateral series, with the England affair at home being the exception.

Meanwhile, Shaheen has played 31 Tests for Pakistan in his career, picking up 116 wickets at an average of under 28.

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