Shaheen Afridi likely to be dropped from Tests for West Indies, England tours
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s future in the longest format has been plunged into serious uncertainty, with the Pakistan selection committee and team management primed to rest the national ODI captain from red-ball duties for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England. Afridi, who has struggled for zip and rhythm following a grueling workload across formats, has been advised by the board to return to domestic first-class cricket to rebuild his bowling workloads and state-of-the-art red-ball fitness before being considered for Test selection again. The dramatic move highlights growing concerns within the team management regarding Afridi’s declining performance metrics in five-day cricket. Well-placed sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told HUM News English that selection officials believe Afridi’s current conditioning falls well short of the demanding standards required for Test cricket. The left-arm quick’s physical decline was laid bare during Pakistan’s recent Test ass...