# Not rest, Afridi is being punished for being 'rebellious'

> Initially, it was suggested that Shaheen Afridi was being rested, with the Pakistan Cricket Board mentioning that he was left out of the Test squad against South Africa to ensure he was fully fit for the Champions Troph…

Published: 2024-12-28 · Desk: Sports · Source: Prothom Alo

Initially, it was suggested that Shaheen Afridi was being rested, with the Pakistan Cricket Board mentioning that he was left out of the Test squad against South Africa to ensure he was fully fit for the Champions Trophy. However, Cricket Pakistan has revealed new information. According to the report, Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad was due to his ‘disobedience’ towards the selectors.

Afridi was dropped from the Test squad after the first match of the England series last October, as he wasn’t in peak form at the time. However, the Pakistan pacer is now in excellent form, being the highest wicket-taker in the ODI series against South Africa, with 7 wickets in their dominant victory. He also claimed 8 wickets in the ODI series against Australia. His absence from the Test squad, despite these performances, raised eyebrows.

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur expressed disbelief, saying, “It’s hard to believe. If he doesn’t bowl in South Africa, then where will he bowl? This is one of the best places to bowl in the world. I know you have Mir Hamza, but Shaheen is a match-winner.”

Although the board had cited “workload management” as the reason for Afridi’s exclusion, Cricket Pakistan’s report offers a different perspective. The media outlet revealed that before the Test squad was announced, one selector had advised Afridi to play in a four-day match, which he did not do. This act of defiance was reportedly the reason for his omission.

Interestingly, the same advice was also given to Babar Azam, who chose not to follow it, but he was still included in the Test squad. Like Afridi, Babar was also excluded from the last two Tests of the England series in October.

Original reporting: https://www.prothomalo.com/sports/cricket/wr2zmu2m2z
HTML: https://tezzfeed.com/sports/not-rest-afridi-is-being-punished-for-being-rebellious-1735369290550
Bangladesh desk: https://tezzfeed.com/bangladeshi-news.md
Agent map: https://tezzfeed.com/llms.txt