(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] As the New Year’s Test between Australia and Pakistan draws close, both sides named their respective playing XIs for the match.
While Australia are going in unchanged, Pakistan have excluded Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Shah Afridi from their XI for the Sydney Test, scheduled to commence on January 3.
Imam has been dropped and in his place, Saud Shakeel will take over the role of an opener. Shaheen is said to be given a break as Pakistan opted to bring in off-spinner Sajid Khan to fill in the spot.
As revealed by the Pakistan captain Shan Masood, Shaheen has been the biggest workhorse in the recent past, and hence, he deserved to be rested.
Notably, the fast-bowler has bowled 305 overs in international cricket in the last six months, the most by any bowler.
“Shaheen Afridi has bowled most overs in world cricket in recent times. He gives his 150 percent in the training sessions as well. He keeps motivating his teammates. He is our main player. We’ll make sure we look after Shaheen Afridi really well,” Masood said as quoted to the media on Tuesday.
Moreover, as Australia have already earned an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, it would have made a very little sense to play Shaheen even though important WTC points are on the line.
Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Aamir Jamal, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza