Additionally, he thinks Pakistan should invest in depth rather than just individuals.
He also thinks Pakistan has to make significant investments. Another voice has been raised in response to Haris Rauf’s self-imposed absence from the current Australia-Pakistan series. Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has stated that the pace bowler “should have been a part of this side”. instead of individuals.
Rauf withdrew from the series prior to the squad’s announcement, citing a desire to control his workload and take care of his health. While the series was ongoing, he participated in four Big Bash League games for the Melbourne Stars in Australia.
With the medium-fast bowlers Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal playing the first Test and Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali the second, Pakistan’s side came into the series with very little high pace. The youthful captain of the pace battery, Shaheen Shah Afridi, typically ran in the low 130 kmph range due to a knee issue that has never fully healed.
Afridi told the media at the MCG, “I think Haris [Rauf] should be part of this side instead of [the BBL].””In these conditions, the kind of pace he has, he would have performed well and enjoyed himself on the kinds of pitches Australia prepared in Perth and here.”
Even by Perth standards, the first Test pitch at Optus Stadium was lively, and as the match progressed, fast bowlers appeared to receive more support. On the fourth afternoon, when Australia defeated Pakistan by 360 runs, bowling them out for 89 runs in 30.2 overs, it was undoubtedly at its most unplayable. Pat Cummins claimed five wickets in the first innings, demonstrating the home team’s seamers’ ongoing success at the MCG.
Despite the slowdown in pace, Shahid Afridi, who is in Australia for work on his foundation, stated he didn’t think Shaheen Afridi was hurt and that Pakistan should focus on depth rather than individuals.
“I have never received the sense that Shaheen Afridi is hurt. Being wounded prevents you from being a quick bowler. He is aware of his responsibilities and his value to the group. We have high expectations for the fast bowlers because of their prior success. We expect players like Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, and others to perform well in every game. In cricket, relentless consistency is hard to come by.
“I’ve always maintained that we can’t make the greatest choices if our bench is weak. The A team should be just as good as the starting lineup, thus we shouldn’t be able to use players’ absences, like we do with Naseem, as an excuse if Shaheen, Babar, or Rizwan aren’t good. There won’t be any more justifications until our bench is solid.”
Shahid also encouraged Pakistan to keep up the battle in the current Test, which the visitors need to win with 317. In the fourth innings at the MCG, no team has chased a higher mark in almost a century, and if Pakistan had held onto their slip catches, they may have been chasing a considerably lower score.
“They ought to win this Test match. We squandered a great chance to easily outrun them for 150 runs. But it’s a goal worth pursuing. The world and I both have very high regard for Babar Azam. He serves as the foundation of Pakistan’s batting order. The greatest batters eventually lose their form, but in Pakistani cricket, I have hardly seen a batsman who is so reliable.”
