Ex-Pakistan coach perplexed by Shaheen Afridi’s call to opt out of Test series vs South Africa

Former Pakistan coach Micky Arthur is absolutely perplexed by the team’s decision to rest Shaheen Afridi for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The premium pacer will instead take part in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). As per reports, Afridi wants to stay out of red-ball contests until Champions Trophy 2025, which means he might also miss the home series against West Indies.

Ex-Pakistan coach blasts Shaheen Afridi for skipping SA series

In an interaction with ESPNCricinfo, Arthur noted that South Africa was a pacer’s paradise and lamented Shaheen Afridi missing the series. Touting the pacer as a “game-breaker” and a “match-winner”, the former Pakistan coach noted that the southpaw would have given Pakistan an edge against the Proteas. He added that Afridi was a sure-shot inclusion for the series in South Africa, purely based on his skill.

“I can’t believe it. If he’s not bowling in South Africa, then where the hell are they bowling him? It’s the best place to bowl in the world, almost. Plus, he gives you a left-arm option. I know they have got Mir Hamza, but Shaheen is a game-breaker and match-winner,” Arthur said.

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Justifying the decision to rest Afridi, the PCB claimed that hey wanted to manage the left-arm pacer’s workload to ensure he’s at his best mentally and physically for their home tournament, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He was further granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) by the board to be a part of Fortune Barishals in BPL.

It is pertinent to note that Afridi was first dropped from the side midway through the PAK vs ENG series earlier this year, along with Naseem Shah and Babar Azam. While he did feature in the white-ball series against Australia and South Africa, he has opted to stay out of the Test series and instead wants to focus on white-ball cricket at this point of time.