Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur slammed the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to not have pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi for the two-match Test series against South Africa starting from Thursday, calling the bowler a "game breaker and match-winner".
The two-match series between both sides will start from Thursday onwards and winning it will seal Proteas' chances in the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord's next year in June.
Do you agree with Mickey Arthur about Shaheen Shah Afridi? https://t.co/9d80ztsX1x #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/JutL5kn9AL
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 25, 2024
Shaheen missed out on the Test leg of the series after featuring in both white-ball series as PCB wants to keep him fresh and well-managed ahead of next year's ICC Champions Trophy starting in February.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Arthur expressed wonder about Shaheen's inclusion, saying, "I cannot believe it. If he is not bowling in South Africa, then where the hell are they bowling him?
It is the best place to bowl in the world, almost. Plus, he gives you a left-arm option. I know they have got Mir Hamza, but Shaheen is a game-breaker and match-winner. I am not in the inner echelon in terms of knowing the ins and outs of why they have not selected him, but on pure skill, I would have him in South Africa in any team I pick."
Shaheen's omission is even more concerning when some of Pakistan's all-time great pacers struggled in Proteas, with Wasim Akram averaging nearly 40 in two Tests, Aaqib Javed just under 37.
Mohammed Abbas, Umar Gul and Azhar Mahmood have had bowling averages between 46-47, while two of Pakistan's greatest seamers, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, had solid but still unspectacular averages of 28.30 and 29.30 respectively.
Only Mohammed Asif (18.47) and Mohammed Amir (23.58) have succeeded in South Africa. Shaheen also has a very respectable bowling average of 26.66 in SA. The second Test of the series will take place from January 3 onwards.
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.