Shaheen Shah Afridi has prioritized his return to Pakistan’s Test team, making his first competitive red-ball appearance in domestic cricket since 2019 during the President’s Trophy on Saturday. Currently excluded from the Test setup, Afridi was not selected for the tours of the West Indies and England. Since his Test debut in 2018, he has taken 126 wickets across 34 matches. Afridi hopes to leverage his performance in domestic cricket to secure a spot back in the national Test squad.
Afridi’s Return Sparks Hope for Pakistan’s Test Team
Shahid Afridi has reaffirmed his commitment to red-ball cricket, stating, “Red-ball cricket is always my first priority,” according to the ICC website. His return comes at a crucial time for Pakistan’s Test side, which is looking to rebound from a disappointing 3-0 defeat in the ICC World Test Championship series against England. Afridi’s presence is expected to bolster the team’s performance as they aim to improve their standing in future matches.
Afridi has continued to show his class with the ball in ODI cricket too, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded Champions Cup, a tournament he also led his side to win, registering bowling figures of 7/36 in the final.
“I learned a lot from my elder brother Riaz Afridi, because he’s played a lot of first-class cricket,” he said. “I’ll try to bowl the same way in first-class cricket as I’ve bowled in Test cricket,” Afridi said. He remains captain of Pakistan’s ODI side, and a home tri-series against England and Sri Lanka is next on the calendar, followed by a home Test series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand later in the year, assignments he will have his sights set on. In the longer format, the longer you spend time on the ground (the better it is) for your confidence, and for your line and length to get fine-tuned.
