Shaheen Shah Afridi: “Test cricket is my first priority. Everyone loves Test cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said Test cricket remains his priority even though he recently only played two out of the three Tests against Australia.
Afridi featured in the first two Tests of that series, picking up eight wickets at an average of 41.62, before being rested for the third Test in Sydney due to workload concerns.
Even though the 23-year-old was criticised for not playing in the third Test, he stressed his commitment to Test cricket and insisted that he will always be available.
“Test cricket is my first priority. Everyone loves Test cricket. When I [started] my cricket journey, I played T20Is and ODI. My older brother [Riaz Afridi] who played one Test for Pakistan said, ‘when you play Test cricket, you’re a proper cricketer’,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“My first goal is always to prioritise Test cricket. That’s the first priority for every cricketer. When you play the shorter format, it’s easier on your body.”
Following the Australia tour, Afridi made his debut as T20I captain in the five-match series against New Zealand and claimed nine wickets at an average of 19.22 and an economy rate of 8.94.
He will now captain the Lahore Qalandars in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts on February 17.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Rashid Khan (reserved), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Imran Jnr., Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Dan Lawrence (partially available), Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun Mahmood, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas
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