Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has voiced his opinion on the absence of fast bowler Haris Rauf from Pakistan’s Test squad, stating that Rauf should have been included in the side instead of participating in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. Afridi expressed his views during a media interaction at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he is present for work related to his foundation.
Rauf opted out of the series against Australia before the squad was announced, citing the need to manage his workload and protect his body. While Rauf played four games for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL, Pakistan entered the series with a pace attack lacking high-speed options, relying primarily on medium-fast bowlers.
“I think Haris [Rauf] should be part of this side instead rather than [the BBL],” Afridi remarked. “In these conditions, the kind of pace he has, he would have performed well and enjoyed himself on the kinds of pitches Australia prepared in Perth and here.”
Afridi also commented on the performance of Pakistan’s pace bowlers in the ongoing Test series, highlighting the importance of depth in the team. He emphasized the need for a strong bench, stating that a robust reserve squad would prevent the team from making excuses for player unavailability.
“I have always said that unless our bench is strong, we won’t be able to take the best decisions. The A team should be as strong as the main team, so if Shaheen or Babar or Rizwan aren’t strong, we shouldn’t have the excuses of players being unavailable, like we do with Naseem now. When our bench is strong, we will no longer have excuses,” Afridi explained.
Afridi also expressed confidence in Pakistan’s chances in the ongoing Test match against Australia, where the visitors are chasing a target of 317 runs for victory. Despite the challenging task ahead, Afridi praised Babar Azam as the backbone of Pakistan’s batting lineup and expressed optimism about the team’s ability to chase down the target.
“This Test match they should win,” Afridi said. “A good opportunity we missed to get them out easily for 150 runs. But it’s a chaseable score. I rate Babar Azam very highly and so does the world. He is the backbone of Pakistan’s batting lineup.”
As Pakistan faces the daunting task of chasing down a significant total, Afridi’s words highlight the importance of strategic squad selection and depth in building a competitive team for future challenges.
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