Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed has asserted that players will have to play four day cricket before returning to the Test side, following questions over Shaheen Afridi’s absence from Pakistan's series against South Africa.
Shaheen’s absence from the longest format for Pakistan has been a point of contention among fans and experts for a while. Recognised as one of the best fast bowlers in the world, Afridi wasn’t included in the series against South Africa where the pitches are conducive to fast bowling.
While the reasoning provided then was to manage his workload going into the ICC Champions Trophy on home soil in February, head coach Javed has now cited the lack of four-day match experience as the defining reason behind the left-armer’s non-selection.
When you return to Test matches, you have to rebuild yourself: Aaqib Javed
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the second Test against West Indies, Javed was asked about Shaheen’s exclusion, especially in the Cape Town test in South Africa. The interim head coach made it clear that Shaheen wasn’t selected because of his lack of participation in four-day matches building up to the series.
