Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has spoken about Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion from the starting XI for the second Test against Bangladesh.
Basit Ali described the decision to leave out Shaheen Afridi as the first major surgery following the shock group stage exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Afridi was not included in Pakistan’s line-up for the must-win encounter against Bangladesh in the ongoing series.
The left-arm spinner had a disappointing performance in the first Test match, where he recorded bowling figures of 2/88 as Bangladesh scored a massive 565 runs in their first innings.
Pakistan’s other bowlers were unable to trouble the Bangladesh batsmen during the recent match in Rawalpindi. The visiting team registered a 10-wicket win and took a 1-0 lead in the Test series.
It is worth mentioning that it was Bangladesh’s first win over Pakistan in the longest format of the game.
The first surgery was performed – Basit Ali
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali said that the previous changes in the squad were minor. Ali stressed that Afridi’s absence was not related to the incident with Shan Masood but was a crucial decision for the team.
“The first surgery has been done, Shaheen Afridi has been removed. Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq’s removal was a minor surgery. However, this is a major surgery,” Ali said.
“People have been speculating that Shaheen Afridi was sacked because he removed Shan Masood’s hand from his shoulder. However, that is not the reason,” he added.
During the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, a video surfaced on social media showing Shaheen Afridi removing Shan Masood’s arm from his shoulder during a team meeting.
This incident sparked speculation among fans that all might not be well in the Men in Green camp.
Shaheen Afridi’s case will be a wake-up call – Basit Ali
Basit Ali said Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion from the starting XI is a wake-up call for both Pakistani players and captain Shan Masood.
The cricketer-turned-pundit said Masood could lose the captaincy if Pakistan fails to win the second Test against Bangladesh.
“Shaheen Afridi’s case will be a wake-up call for Pakistani players. It is also a wake-up call for Shan Masood. Shan Masood will not remain the captain if Pakistan fail to draw the series. The media and fans will not remain silent if they lose a series against Bangladesh,” Ali added.
Shan Masood became the first Pakistan captain to start his tenure with four consecutive defeats in Test cricket.
The left-handed batsman was named captain ahead of the series against Team Australia. They suffered a 0-3 humiliation in the Test series against Australia earlier this year.
Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6. In reply, Mushfiqur Rahim scored 191 and Bangladesh scored 565 runs.
The hosts were bowled out for 146 runs in their second innings, with Mohammad Rizwan (51) the lone warrior. Bangladesh then chased down the 30-run target on Day 5.
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