Mickey Arthur: “Shaheen is a game-breaker and match-winner. I’m not in the inner echelon in terms of knowing the ins and outs of why they haven’t selected him, but on pure skill, I would have him in South Africa in any team I pick”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur said he would always pick left-arm pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi as he is a “game-breaker and match-winner”.
His comments come after Afridi was dropped for the ongoing two-Test series against South Africa, much to the surprise of many people.
Arthur noted he doesn’t know the reason why the 24-year-old was not selected, but pointed out that he would have Afridi in the team “on pure skill”.
“I know they have got Mir Hamza, but Shaheen is a game-breaker and match-winner. I’m not in the inner echelon in terms of knowing the ins and outs of why they haven’t selected him, but on pure skill, I would have him in South Africa in any team I pick,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
Afridi was recently in action in Pakistan’s white-ball series against Australia and started off with eight wickets in three ODIs at an average of 12.62.
In the three T20Is that followed, he picked up one wicket at an average of 107.
Pakistan travelled to Zimbabwe after this, but Afridi was rested for both the ODI and T20I series.
He returned for the ongoing tour of South Africa and began by claiming three wickets in two T20Is at an average of 19.66.
Afridi continued to impress in the ODIs as he snapped up seven wickets in three matches at an average of 23.28.
Pakistan currently find themselves trailing 1-0 in the Test series against South Africa after losing the 1st Test in Centurion by two wickets.
The 2nd Test got underway on January 3 in Cape Town.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series:Â Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series:Â Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series:Â Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha