Wasim Akram strongly criticized the choice to rest Shaheen Afridi for the third and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Despite being 0-2 down in the series, important World Test Championship (WTC) points are at stake.
Surprisingly, the 23-year-old was rested ahead of his inaugural national captaincy role in the T20Is against New Zealand, commencing on January 12.
In an interview with Fox Cricket, Akram emphasized the importance of Test cricket in contrast to the entertainment and financial aspects of T20Is.
“Straight after this there are five T20s in New Zealand, and Shaheen’s the captain. But T20 cricket, who cares? I understand, it’s there for entertainment and it’s there for financial gain for cricket boards, for players, but cricketers should know that Test cricket is the ultimate,” said Akram.
The former Pakistan captain added:
“If we talk about what happened 20 years ago in this Test in Sydney, nobody knows what happened last night in T20. That’s the difference.”
“These guys have to understand and learn, if you want to be a great of the game or do you want to be a millionaire. You can become both but with a little more sense.”
Following a disappointing performance in the first Test, where he managed a total of 2/172, Afridi bounced back strongly in the MCG Test.
The emerging talent recorded impressive figures of 6/161, securing a four-wicket haul in the second innings, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s push for victory.
Unfortunately, the visitors fell short by 79 runs, resulting in their 16th consecutive Test match loss in Australia.
“That’s a real shocker for me” – Waqar Younis comments on Shaheen Afridi’s non-participation in the SCG Test
Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis echoed the views of Wasim Akram regarding Pakistan’s decision to rest Shaheen Afridi for the final Test in Australia. With Naseem Shah already sidelined due to injury, Afridi’s non-participation adds to the bowling unit’s challenges as they aim to prevent a series whitewash.
“We play for Test match cricket. We don’t play for T20s or one-day cricket. And if you’re missing Test match cricket purely because you are being rested, I do not understand”, said Waqar to Channel 7.
“That’s a real shocker for me because I was expecting him to be a part of this Test match because he looked good in the previous match. He started feeling like the old Shaheen Afridi and started to swing the ball and the pace was getting better.”
There is increasing worry about Afridi’s workload, having bowled nearly 100 overs across the initial two Tests, putting him ahead of Nathan Lyon by 30 overs.
Afridi’s debut as Pakistan captain in T20Is is in the first match against New Zealand, just five days after the expected finish of the Sydney Test.
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