Former Pakistan’s T20 team captain, Shaheen Afridi, could miss the first two matches of a series against New Zealand.
According to Geo News, the star pacer could be sidelined for the initial matches in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, but will feature in the final three matches of the series against the Kiwis.
As per news agency sources, the decision has been taken as a part of the rotation policy of the team and also to manage the workload of the players ahead of the T20 World Cup this year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a press release stated "A strategic move aimed at ensuring player well-being and peak performance”.
PCB further added, “While Shaheen Afridi has undeniably proven himself as a star fast bowler, leading Pakistan’s pace attack over the years, the board recognises the importance of rotation and rest to maintain his peak performance. This decision aligns with the board's commitment to safeguarding the longevity of the players, especially fast bowlers, given their injury timelines in the past two years.”
It also highlighted, “This decision is to ensure Pakistan's main bowlers remain at the top of their game. The board does not want the national men’s team to run into an injury crisis concerning bowling resources, as seen before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, where Shaheen had to be closely looked after and ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, where the team didn’t have the services of Naseem Shah.”
To note, Shaheen was recently removed as a T20 captain and was replaced by Babar Azam.
The five-T20-match series against New Zealand is scheduled to begin on April 18 in Rawalpindi.
