Jason Gillespie Reveals That Shaheen Afridi Was Dropped

Jason Gillespie admitted during a press conference that Shaheen Afridi was dropped ahead of Pakistan’s second Test against Bangladesh and so, here is a look at what the country’s red-ball cricket coach had to say.

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Jason Gillespie Explains Why Shaheen Afridi Was Dropped

Cricket Pakistan while quoting Jason reported, “Shaheen will sit out of this game. I had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the reason behind this decision. We’re looking for the best combination for this game, and this is our direction. As I mentioned, we will assess the conditions in the morning and decide on the exact makeup of our bowling attack. Shaheen has received some feedback, and he’s had an interesting couple of weeks—he’s a new father, he’s playing all three formats, and we’re seeing an opportunity to allow him to spend time with his family as well.

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“He’s working on a few aspects of his bowling to ensure he’s as fit as possible. He’s been collaborating well with Azhar Mahmood, which has been fantastic. We certainly want to see Shaheen at his best because we have a lot of cricket ahead in all formats, and he’s going to play a big role in that. However, right now, we feel that we have all our bases covered for this particular game. But, make no mistake, Shaheen is a quality player and will play a significant role in the next 6-7 months.”

Pakistan’s 12 member squad for second Test: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza.