On Monday, sources told that Pakistan’s standout pacer Shaheen Afridi may miss many matches in the T20I series against New Zealand. They said the left-arm bowler will “rest” as part of the team’s rotation policy to limit workload before the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
Is Shaheen Afridi out of all New Zealand matches?
Shaheen will likely miss the opening two matches of the five-match series. Sources said he would play in the final three matches. Babar Azam succeeded Shaheen as T20I captain.
PCB called the measure “a strategic move aimed at ensuring player well-being and peak performance”.
“Shaheen has led Pakistan’s speed attack for years, but the board understands the significance of rotation and recuperation to sustain his optimum performance. The PCB said that this decision supports the board’s goal of protecting players’ longevity, especially fast bowlers given their injury histories in the past two years.
This decision is based on workload management to keep Pakistan’s top bowlers on top. As shown before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, where Shaheen had to be strictly monitored, the board does not want the national men’s squad to face an injury crisis with bowling resources.
In Islamabad following Eid-ul-Fitr, the Green Shirts joined the Black Caps on Sunday.
