Mickey Arthur: “If anything he needs to get his loads up to play Test cricket… It is being monitored all the time”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan team director, has brushed off concerns about left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s workload, saying he should be playing more cricket.
He noted that by getting more game time under his belt, Afridi will be more accustomed to bowling longer spells in Test cricket.
Arthur also made it clear that the team management are keeping a close eye on the 23-year-old since he is an integral part of the Pakistan team and the leader of their pace attack in all three formats.
“If anything he needs to get his loads up to play Test cricket… It is being monitored all the time!” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Afridi recently took six wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka at an average of 37.33.
He followed that up with six wickets in three ODIs against Afghanistan at an average of 16.33.
Currently, he is in action for Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where he has taken six wickets in two matches at an average of 10.33.
Two of those wickets came in the first match against Nepal, while he finished with figures of 4-35 off his 10 overs against India.
After beating Nepal by 238 runs, Pakistan’s match against India was rained off following the men in blue’s first innings total of 266. Despite this, the men in green made it through to the Super Four stage.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir