In the ongoing 2nd test match against Bangladesh started on 30th August 2024, Pakistan’s pace bowler Shaheen Afridi was dropped from the playing XI which points out the issue that he might be viewed as a burden for his team. A few days back a video became viral on social media which pointed out the misunderstanding between Shaheen Afridi and Pakistan test skipper Shan Masood.
His poor performance in the first test match of the series in Rawalpindi shows his downfall from a tearaway pacer to an ordinary bowler.
Those were the days when Afridi was considered the successor of Pakistan’s ex-fast bowler Wasim Akram. The comparison increased since he used to be a fierce pacer, who used to grab wickets in his first spell.
Before the T20 World Cup 2022, Shaheen underwent rehabilitation for a knee injury while fielding in the first test match against Sri Lanka in July 2022, which spoiled his entire cricketing career. Also, his bowling speed was affected in recent times and weakened his role as a pace bowler.
Shaheen Afridi’s Performance in the Home Test Series vs Bangladesh in 2024
In the first test match where Bangladesh achieved a sensational 10-wicket victory against Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi lacked the essential skills required for a left-arm seamer. He was able to grab only 2 wickets by giving up 88 runs in 30 overs (including 3 maiden overs). It seemed he was completely clueless with his game plan. Whereas, in the 2nd innings he wasn’t able to grab even a single wicket by bowling just 2 overs and conceding 8 runs.
Is knee injury the main cause of Shaheen Afridi’s Downfall?
During the T20 World Cup 2022 final match against England, Shaheen Afridi once again sustained a knee injury, which ruled him out of action from the national cricket team for almost a year. The injury resulted in his downfall in all three formats of the sport. Particularly in the red-ball format, Shaheen’s body condition is restricting him from bowling at least 20 overs in a day.
Although he remains in fresh form in his initial spell, the left-arm pacer is prone to deterioration as the innings progresses, which gives an advantage to the opponent team’s batters to accumulate huge runs.
Mainly, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) should be blamed for Shaheen’s continuing issues, as they forced him into participation, immediately when he was in the recovering stage from his knee injury after the Sri Lankan test series in July 2022. This resulted in the pacer once again facing injury in a crucial moment of the T20 World Cup 2022 final match.
Earlier, Shaheen’s bowling speed used to reach upto 145 km/h. But, in recent times, he is not even able to surpass the speed of 135 km/ h. This shows how his progress slowed down as a bowler. His lack of consistency allowed the part-time bowler Mohammad Amir to outperform in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.
Before struggling with an injury, Shaheen Afridi maintained an impressive record in test cricket by collecting 99 wickets in just 42 innings, with an outstanding average of 24.86, including four 5-wicket hauls. Since his return from a knee injury, Shaheen is yet to claim a 5-wicket haul as his economy rate and bowling average have worsened to an unimaginable level.
Shaheen Afridi vs Shan Masood Fight: A viral video during PAK vs BAN 1st Test Match
Recently, a video became viral where Shaheen Afridi removed Shan Masood’s hands from his shoulders, which increased the speculations about the clash between two cricketers, thereby questioning the Pakistan team’s unity.
Also, the latest reports suggest that the atmosphere isn’t good in the dressing room after facing a severe 10-wicket loss in the Rawalpindi test match. Furthermore, rumors are spreading that captain Shan Masood got involved in a physical fight with Shaheen Afridi for his below-average performance in the first test match.
Why has Shaheen Afridi changed into an average bowler?
While considering his stats in test cricket from the 2023-24 season, Shaheen has taken only 16 wickets by playing just 5 test matches. His average in tests was 39.78 in 2023 and changed to 48.00 in 2024. This highlights his shortfall in the longest format of cricket.
Since there is less pace generated by Shaheen, batters get an additional second to execute their strokes more effectively.
Conclusive Facts
As Shaheen Afridi faces severe criticism, the main question arises as to how long the Pakistan team will continue preferring him for main matches. It is understood that the 24-year-old pacer requires a longer break to regain his fitness and contribute the best for his team in the forthcoming series and tournaments.
In recent times, the Pakistan team management granted him a sufficient break to come back to his best form by spending time with his family, especially after he became the father of a baby boy named Aliyaar Afridi. Perhaps, this could be one of the main reasons why Afridi was excluded from the playing XI for the 2nd test match. However, you need to know that there isn’t any official confirmation about the rift between Shaheen Afridi and Shah Masood as neither of the both have given any public statement since the speculations of the rumors.
