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 assignments against Bangladesh, where speed guns clocked his average velocity at a pedestrian 134 kph—a far cry from the explosive 140-plus kph bursts that defined his early career.
Afridi’s diminishing returns are reflected heavily in his recent output. A statistical breakdown of his last five Test appearances underscores a sharp spike in his economy rate and a drastic dip in strike power
The fast bowler’s lack of red-ball preparation has also raised eyebrows; Afridi has not featured in a proper domestic multi-day match in years, relying almost exclusively on international scheduling and global T20 leagues.
Further fueling speculations of a format split, neither Afridi nor his long-time new-ball partner Naseem Shah have been invited to the ongoing National Cricket Academy (NCA) red-ball specialization camp in Lahore.
Instead, both marquee quicks have been drafted strictly into the white-ball training group, signaling a conscious management decision to manage their longevity in limited-overs cricket.
With Afridi likely to be sidelined from the Test sheets, the selectors are looking to inject fresh blood into Pakistan’s seam attack. Right-arm pacer Muhammad Ali, who impressed in domestic circuits, and U19 sensation Ubaid Shah are strongly tipped to be inducted into the squad for the upcoming overseas Test cycles.
