Pakistan ex-fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis criticized the decision to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi for the third Test at the SCG. Discover how Wasim and Waqar criticize Afridi’s absence in Sydney.
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Wasim and Waqar criticize Afridi’s absence in Sydney
Akram faults Shaheen for prioritizing T20 cricket over Test cricket, while Waqar Waqar, who was also astonished, says Pakistan’s vice-captain’s absence “made me laugh.”
Pakistan was concerned about Afridi’s workload throughout the first two Tests. In the first two Tests, he led a weak, inexperienced fast bowling attack without a lead spinner, bowling four balls short of 100 overs, over 30 more than the series’ second busiest bowler, Nathan Lyon.
His heavy workload has also become a source of worry over time as he has taken on additional tasks in white-ball cricket. He is the captain of the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and signed a three-year contract with the ILT20 last year.
He was also named captain of Pakistan’s Twenty20 International team, which he will head in a five-match T20I series commencing five days after the third Test concludes in New Zealand. Despite losing time due to injury, Afridi has bowled more balls in international cricket since July 2022 than any other fast bowler.
“Straight after the Sydney Test, there are five T20s in New Zealand, and Shaheen’s the captain,” Wasim said on Fox Cricket.
“But who cares about T20 cricket?” Although I know that it exists for entertainment and financial gain for cricket boards and players, batters should recognize that Test cricket is the pinnacle.
“Nobody knows what happened last night in T20 if we talk about what happened 20 years ago in this Test in Sydney.”
“There is a distinction. These individuals must grasp and study if they want to be outstanding in the game or billionaires. “You can be both, but with a little more discernment,” he went on to say.
Waqar Younis agreed with Akram and claimed Shaheen’s absence made him chuckle.