The Pakistan team has released left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from their Test contingent in the middle of an ongoing second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Shaheen was left out of the 12-man squad for this game and had his participation at the constant rain that forced the cancellation of Day One at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The PCB has said in a statement the decision to grant Shaheen's release was to enable him to spend some time with family. It has come about after Shaheen's son, Aliyaar, was born on the fourth day of the first Test, which Pakistan lost by ten wickets to Bangladesh.
He could manage two wickets in the first innings of the first Test, but he failed to add to that number in the second innings to finish wicketless at 2-96. He has not been in any great scheme of form of late in Tests, managing just 16 wickets in five matches in 2023 at an average of 40.81 compared to his overall count of 115 wickets in 30 Tests at an average of 27.08.
In the absence of Shaheen, the Shan Masood-led side has roped in left-arm pacer Mir Hamza and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed to join their forces. Left with no option other than an outright win in this ongoing match, Pakistan have to win to level up the series. Quite expectedly, given the forecasted luck for the remaining days, a draw would confirm Bangladesh's first Test series win over Pakistan.
Both teams enter this series at the bottom of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship, with Bangladesh in seventh and Pakistan in eighth above the West Indies. Pakistan have not won a home Test since beating South Africa in December 2021.
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