Shaheen Shah Afridi’s absence from Pakistan’s recent Test series against South Africa and the West Indies has raised several questions.

The star pacer, who has been one of Pakistan’s key performers in the longest format of the game, was sidelined again despite being a crucial part of the squad in white-ball formats.

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Aqib Javed, Pakistan’s coach, has now shed light on the situation, emphasizing the need for fast bowlers to develop the required stamina for Test cricket. Let’s take a look at what Aqib said about Shaheen’s exclusion.

Why was Shaheen Afridi left out of the Test squad?

Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion from the two-Test series against South Africa and the West Indies has left many cricket fans and experts puzzled.

The selectors opted to rest the pacer, despite his stellar record in Test cricket. According to Javed, the primary reason for Shaheen’s absence was the sheer exhaustion that comes with playing in all three formats of the game.

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Javed explained that modern cricket is increasingly grueling, with players often stretched thin due to the demands of one-day internationals and T20s alongside Tests.

“The thing is, there’s ODI and then there’s Test Cricket. If you do a thorough analysis of Shaheen, you’ll see that cricket is becoming so exhausting, and when you’re playing all three formats, then you bowl in Tests, where you have to bowl 25-30 overs in a day,” said Javed.

What role does stamina play in Test cricket?

Javed stressed that playing four-day cricket before taking part in Tests is crucial for fast bowlers to build the stamina required for Test cricket.

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Without this preparation, the energy levels needed to bowl long spells, especially when trying to break partnerships or dismiss tail-enders, become insufficient. 

“After that, if you don’t play four-day cricket for three months, then you have to bowl in Test matches. This is one of the reasons why your body, as a fast bowler, when you bowl 25-30 overs in a day, the energy level required to get the tail-enders out decreases,”

“Now, these bowlers need to focus on playing four-day cricket before Test matches, only then will they have the stamina required for Test matches,” added Javed.

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